Silver Mist
by Sisi427
Summary: The Shinsengumi find a girl in the rain badly injured, and she's got a grudge against Gintoki. How far will she go to get her revenge? OC story Gintoki and Hijikata are important characters. This story will have Humor and Drama as well as Romance. M for Strong language.
1. Rein in the Rain

Nothing.  
I feel nothing right now...  
Dark clouds block the sun; pouring rain down upon me.  
I can see blood washing away down the pavement, and into a nearby gutter.  
It's my own blood. My clothes are stained crimson, and I can feel myself fading away.  
The concrete beneath me is hard against my back; yet it felt worse when I fell.  
How did I get here, you ask? It's a long story...  
It's rather ironic that I would die in the rain.  
My _name_ is Rein.  
Footsteps are approaching me; lots of them.  
Assuming that it is the man who left me like this I know I need to move.  
I try to will my body to comply, but find myself unsuccessful.  
I barely even moved my finger: I must get away.  
If not for myself, then for my master.  
Just because I'm telling you this story, doesn't mean I'll survive until the end...

I'm laying in the warehouse district.  
The industrial feel has always been comforting, but now it offers none.  
The once white sidewalk beneath me is stained scarlet, but the rain carries the color away.

Wincing in pain, I try again.  
Despite the gash across my thigh, or the stab wound near my ribs, I move.  
I manage to weakly push myself from the ground, and struggle to my feet.  
I will _not_ die here, and I will find that silver haired samurai; the one who left me like this.  
I clench my fist around my weapon, and face the direction of the foot steps.  
Unable to escape the pain that ripples through me with my every movement, I clutch my rib with my left hand; I don't need it to fight.  
I know I must remained slightly slouched, if I were to stand up straight the pain would be unbearable.

The men round the corner, and I see the Senshingumi.  
_'Damn... If they know what I've done... They'll kill me...' _The thought jumps into my mind, and my heart begins to pound.  
But that's another story...

"We've got a woman over here! Shes got a sword!" Somebody shouts the words from the group of men.  
Probably to another small group, but my vision is growing dim, I can't focus my eyes long enough to search.  
A man with raven hair is eying me curiously; but in my state of agony, I am in no mood for introductions, or questions.  
I flash him a dark look, hoping that everybody will get the message.

A large van rolls up beside them, and more men are inside of it.  
One man pokes his head out of the top.  
"Woman, drop your weapon! Move towards us slowly, and we'll take you back to your family!"  
Squinting my eyes, I focus on man with pointy brown hair. He is still on top of the van, and looks sort of like a gorilla...  
I open my mouth to speak, to tell them that I have no family.  
To order them to leave me alone, and let me leave.  
I don't want their help, surely if they take me they'll discover who I am.

"No..." My voice was firm, and I continue, despite the fact that speaking hurt.  
Breathing hurt as well; but that was a necessary pain.  
"Leave me- Leave me here... I don't need your-" A sharp pain takes my breath away, and involuntarily I lean forward holding myself with my arm.

The men remained silent, probably unsure of what to do.  
"She's going to die. Lets leave her."  
Peering up, I see a man with sandy brown hair, motioning away from me.  
"Don't say that Sougo!" The gorilla spoke next.  
"Do you see all of that blood? Look at her- She can't possibly make it." Sougo persisted, and the raven haired man shook his head.

Leaning up as far as possible, I glare at the man who's so sure that I will die.  
"I'm not weak." The words were a low hiss, and the men all set their eyes on me again.  
"Leave me as he said, or I'll kill you... All of you..."  
My statement seemed to surprise them, but the raven haired man laughed at me.  
"Not like that you wont." His response was rather irritating.  
Time and time again I have had to prove myself to men.  
To prove that a woman can be just as skilled as they are.

Stepping forward I try to prepare myself for another fight, but the edge of my blade drags along the ground.  
I can't lift it. Not in this state.  
Everything starts to grow dark, and my vision becomes more cloudy.  
Unable to push myself any further I drop to the ground, sitting up.  
Once again a wave of pain shakes me, and I grimace at the sensation.

My body is shutting down, and there's nothing I can do about it.  
I feel a hand on my back, and when I jerk around to see who it is another wave of pain stops me.  
I see the raven haired man beside me; and he looks pissed.  
"Stop being stupid. You cant even lift that sword right now, come with us."  
I don't reply. There's no use fighting, I couldn't if I wanted to.

The man scoops me off of the ground, and I cling to my blade as he does.  
"You might as well let go of it..." He peers down at me blankly.  
"No... It's special." With that I slip away.

To think this all started with a fortune cookie.

* * *

**(A/N. Hi all! Thank you for taking the time to read my first chapter. The next chapters will be in past tense. This was my first time writing in 1st person, and writing in present tense as well. It's much more difficult then expected. Must be true that 90% of writers are better with 3rd person past tense, Ne? **  
**An update should be coming soon. Also any criticism or reviews are always greatly appreciated. Have a nice day!)  
**


	2. The Fortune Cookie

"Rein, what does yours say?" I gazed up from my food, and my eyes settled on Chizuru.  
She was my sister, and whenever the master allowed us, we would come to this restaurant just down the street from our house, and dojo, to spend time together. The restaurant wasn't extremely nice or anything, it had plain rectangular tables, and the employees all wore white two piece uniforms.  
The only thing I really liked about the place was the dark sapphire walls, and dim lighting.

It was difficult to talk around the master, or any of his other students. Things were strict that I found myself acting as if I was there all the time.  
"I don't know. You know I don't like those things... You can have it."  
Sliding the cookie across the table I finished my food, not paying her any more attention.

"I love fortune cookies! They always make you so happy! I don't think they even make bad ones!" Chizuru quickly opened hers, and stuffed the cookie into her mouth studying her fortune.  
"It says 'About time I got out of that cookie.'..."  
Frowning I glanced at the sheet, as she threw it down on the table.  
"I guess they do make people feel better." I couldn't help but snicker at the note.  
"Rein, I can't take yours, just open it, I'll eat the cookie." Chizuru shoved the cookie back to my side of the table.  
Rolling my eyes I decided to just agree with her. Truthfully I didn't care, but since she insisted...

"Fine... Its probably just something stupid, like the last one."  
As I opened the plastic around the cookie I got a bad feeling in my stomach, but told myself it was just the Chinese food.  
Cracking the cookie in half I removed the paper, and stared at it. Immediately scowling, I threw it on the table.  
My heart dropped when I saw the words, but I couldn't help but think of how stupid this was.  
"What does it say, Rein?" Chizuru reached across the table, grabbing the note.  
"It's broken... This one is messed up too." Crossing my arms, I watched the waitress walk by the table for the umpteenth time without checking on us.

"_Your life is in danger. Say nothing to anyone. You must leave the city immediately and never return. Repeat: say nothing."_

I felt Chizuru's brown eyes on me, and without her even speaking I knew she was concerned.

"This is... Weird... What are you going to do?"  
I shrugged in response.  
"Nothing. It's stupid, it couldn't possibly be right, it's just a cookie."  
She didn't reply. I know she's my big sister, and I should have probably tried to calm her, but the years we have been at the dojo have numbed me.  
The only emotions I needed were... Well, I didn't need any of them.  
"Let's go..." Just as I started to stand, she placed a hand on mine.  
"Wait... You always act as though we're in Master's presence... You say you haven't, but you've changed... talk to me... Like before."

As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. So I sat back down, and tried to find something to say. How could she not have grown to be like me?  
How did she maintain her innocence; her girly ways?  
It seemed that it would be harder to do that then to break, and be rebuilt; like I did.  
"Well... Kuro has been at it again." Searching my brain I tried to remember what the boy said to me this time.  
It was something like a death threat, but that was normal.  
Kuro is a boy who trains with us, but unlike him, we don't have parents, or a home to return to when our training is over.  
Our training is never over.

"He said something along the lines of 'If you don't love me, I'll kill you when I learn how to use this sword.'" She stared at me wide eyed and I shrugged again.  
"Did you tell master?" She asked and I shook my head.  
"He was in the room. He said rivalry is healthy."  
A look of disbelief slipped across her face and she frowned immediately.  
"Well... If that's all he said, we can't do anything else... Just be careful... Things like this never resolve themselves."

After a moment of silence I once again rose to my feet.  
"Lets get out of here..."

On the way out of the door, I grabbed another cookie, placing the old one in my pocket.  
Chizuru told me to do it. To prove that the last one was just a hoax.  
We started back towards the dojo, and on the way I opened my new cookie.  
When my eyes settled on the words, I was stunned.  
_'Your problem just got bigger. Think, what have you done?'_

* * *

"Master!" Running as quickly as possible, I went to the Master's door.  
"What is it?" He sounded as though he was annoyed but I couldn't help myself.  
I opened the door revealing the wooden paneling of his large plain room.  
He stood by a sliding glass door watching the sunset.  
"Master please forgive me for the intrusion, but I need your opinion. I got a fortune cookie... And it said something bad... I didn't pay it much attention, but when I picked another it- Well, it was almost the same thing! Here, Sir." I extended the notes to him, and he narrowed his eyes at me.  
A thick silence hung in the air, until he stood up.  
"Come with me rein. We need to go ask the mystic."

Sitting in the tent on the out skirts of town, I felt as though my stomach was doing flips.  
We waited patiently for the mystic to call us.  
Neither of us spoke. It was master's way, he never spoke unless necessary; or to yell at us.  
"Come in, Rein..."  
The voice beyond the curtain caused my pulse to quicken.  
We explained the situation to her, and show her the fortunes.  
She eyed them oddly before nodding to us.  
"It's real...I've seen this once before... That person died..."  
The master looked alarmed, but nodded.  
"How?" He asked, and the mystics expression changed into a solemn stare.  
"He choked on a scratch off ticket..."  
Now things were getting too strange.

How could this seemingly unrelated death be blamed on a bad fortune cookie?  
We stayed for a few more minutes, until Master took me back to the dojo.  
He still hadn't spoken the whole time, and I knew something was wrong.  
As we walked through the doors of our house he turned to me, holding the most serious expression I have ever seen.  
"Rein. Go pack your belongings. Come to me tonight and I will give you some money for a train. Go anywhere you wish, but do NOT stay here. You are no longer welcome in this town."  
Without giving me time to respond he left.

I had to tell Chizuru; she was my sister after all.  
She cried, and begged me to take her with me, but I knew I couldn't.  
That night, I left, just as instructed.  
"Take this sword... It was mine when I was your age. You are my best student, so now, it belongs to you..."  
Those were the words my Master sent me away with.  
I haven't spoken to any of them since.  
It seemed silly, to be sent away from my only home because of bad fortune cookie.  
It seemed ridiculous, but I could not fight with the master's word, it was not my place.

* * *

**A/N. I know, this chapter has some OOC-ness to it (Not a real word, but you get what I mean, Lol.). The only reason is to shed some light on Rein's past. Next chapter will be back to the present time. **


	3. Where do You Think You're Going?

The world around me was hazy. I couldn't understand a thing, or make out the voices I heard.  
They had to be near by, but not in the same room as me...  
_'Room? Where am I?'_  
Panic crept over me and I slowly open my eyes. I didn't recognize the place at all.  
My clothes had been changed, and my wounds wrapped. Studying the room, I reached for my sword.

My sword...  
_'WHERE IS IT?!'  
_Immediately sitting up, I winced as the sensation of every muscle in my body ripping took me.

'_That damn samurai...'  
_He was a strong opponent. Almost too strong.  
He told me he didn't fight girls which seemed childish, but he didn't hesitate when I charged at him.  
The man with the white hair.  
He put up such a good fight, that I hadn't realized when somebody else decided to join in.  
They took advantage of the fact that I was focused on him, and quickly defused the battle.  
I heard him yell at them, but they didn't care.

_'I have to fight him again... To prove my strength. It's been a long time since I have found somebody who was a challenge.'  
_forcing myself to my feet, I staggered out of the room. Somebody had taken my master's sword, and I intended to get it back.  
The moment I slid the door open, all eyes were on me. The men all froze in place watching me curiously.  
I wondered what they might say, until somebody shouted.

"Kondo-San! Kondo-San! She's awake!"

Peering around the room, I looked for the person who had spoken, but found no answer before the gorilla man walked up to me.  
"Hey! You're up! You had us all worried! You slept for two weeks!"  
"Two weeks?" Frowning, I glanced at my bandages.  
"You... Men... Have been changing my bandages for... Two weeks? Are there any women here?"

He shook his head in response, and a sense of embarrassment crept over me.

"Have you- Who-... My clothes..."

Noticing my internal state of absolute chaos, he showed me his palms, as if signalling for me to stop.  
"No body did anything inappropriate. When we washed you, you were still fully covered."  
With no choice but to believe him I sighed deeply, giving him a slight nod.  
"You can take a shower before you return to your family. We just wanted to make sure you were okay. Plus, you had no I.D."  
Now I felt even more uncomfortable.

They expected me to return to my family, and checked me for I.D.  
I had an I.D in my bag, but it got left behind. Everything I owned was in that bag, and I needed to get it back.  
"Where is the shower?" Trying to maintain my cool, I leaned my head to the side and he pointed me in the direction.  
Nodding, I started away from him, and out of the room.

Five minutes passed, and I still hadn't found it.  
Ahead of me, the raven haired man was standing in the hallway leaning against the frame of an open door.  
His back was facing me, and it looked as though he was smoking cigarette.

"Oi... I need your... Help..." I hated asking for help but I walked over to him anyway.  
He didn't even look like he cared when he turned around, but that was normal to me.  
"What?" His voice was flat, and I rolled my eyes.  
"Where's the shower?" I asked.  
He was obviously annoyed, but led me around the hallway and to a small room, without saying a word.  
"Thanks..." Another word I hated slipped from my lips and I glanced at his cigarette one last time before asking another favor of him.

"May I have one of those?" I point at the slender stick, and he eyed me oddly before reaching into his pocket and holding the pack out to me.  
I pulled one out, and used his lighter before I pushed the door shut behind myself.

* * *

After my shower, I felt refreshed, but the water had hurt as it touched my wounds.  
It was quite a dilemma; as it felt as though it was stinging me, but I toughed it out.  
Kondo gave me my clothes and sword back, telling me I shouldn't carry weapons around in public.  
He instructed me to go with the man known as Hijikata; who was apparently the man who picked me up, and gave me a cigarette.

I followed Hijikata to his car, and he started the engine.  
"Where do you live?" He peered at me, and I immediately became uneasy.  
"Take me back to the place you found me."  
He didn't answer, and I wondered what he was thinking.  
"There aren't any houses out there..." He finally spoke, and I nodded in response.  
"I left my bag."

When we arrived at the industrial park, I gazed around at the familiar structures jutting from the ground.  
Small walls made of white stone built around concrete foundations were a frequent sight.  
Most of the walls only reached my chest, or waist, and none of them had roofs.  
After stepping out of the car I peered into the window.

"Thanks." Once again saying the dreaded T word I bowed slightly before turning away.  
"Oi! Where are you going!? You just said you needed a bag, not that you were going to leave! I was told to take you home, this isn't your house!"  
"Yes it is." He fell silent when he heard my answer. I could tell that he didn't know what to say.  
"I know this building is just a skeleton, but it's where I live..." I motioned to the red frame of the incomplete warehouse.  
It had a roof, and a few walls, but most of them were never finished.  
Not offering any more details, I started away, but he continued to talk.

"Wait, what about your family?"  
I eyed him over my shoulder, and he eventually sighed, dropping his head.  
"You don't have one?"

The question was one that I hadn't had to answer in a long time.  
I just echoed his sigh in response.  
The mood needed to be lightened so I tried to think of something to say.

"I have myself, I'll be fine." Without giving him time to respond I rushed away as quickly as possible; but apparently not quickly enough.  
He rolled his car over the side walk and continued to talk to me.

"What about your wounds? You can't have a proper bath out here, or even food and water. Do you have bandages?"  
Slightly annoyed I turned back to him.  
"I'll make do."  
"Get in the car." His voice was low, and I turned to look at him.  
He wasn't looking at me, instead he gazed at another group of squatters about twenty meters away.

"I need my bag." I pointed up at the frame of a stair case and he nodded.  
"Where is it?" He asked.  
"On the second floor."  
"Then get in the damn car, and let me get it."

Ignoring him I continued away.  
He shifted the car into park, and angrily got out.  
Walking in front of me he crossed his arms and spoke.  
"Get in the damn car."

I glared at him, grabbing the handle of my sword.  
"You will not tell me what to do. I don't listen to you or any body else."  
I could see his patience wearing thin, and without a word he lunged towards me; intentionally pushing my wound.  
When I grimaced and grabbed my side he practically shoved me into the back seat of his cop car, taking my sword.  
Hijikata threw my blade in the front seat, and gazed back at me.

"Wait here." Was all he said before leaving.


	4. Reason to Lie

When Hijikata returned he held my backpack in his hand.  
"Is this it?"  
Scowling I nodded. That bastard had intentionally hurt me, and shoved me in the back of his car, like I was being arrested or something.

Without a word, he got into the driver's seat, and started away from the place I had called home for over a year.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I hissed the words at him breaking the silence.  
He gazed at me over his shoulder before returning his attention to the road.  
"Taking you back. You can't stay there, it's illegal." He left it at that but I couldn't let him have the last word.  
"You didn't say that to the other squatters! And fuck you for agitating my wound! Who the hell do you think you are? I'll kill you when I get my sword back... Right after I find the man who did this to me..." My voice trailed off at the last part, but he still heard me.  
He pulled the car over, and shifted his rear view mirror so I could only see his eyes glaring at me.

"Who the hell are you?" His voice was low, and I returned his glare.  
"None of your concern..." We continued to hold the eye contact until he grabbed my bag and held it up.  
"I bet there's something in here that could tell me..."  
"Fuck you!" Crossing my arms I shifted my gaze to the window, staring at a nearby forest.  
"You look like somebody we're looking for." Without another word he unzipped my bag.  
"Hey! HEY! STOP!" Slamming my hands against the barrier between us, I found that it was too sturdy to move.  
No matter how it was struck or pushed it didn't budge. He moved my clothes around finding some of my weapons.  
"Two knives, throwing stars, and brass knuckles, what the hell do you need these for..?" He eyed me oddly before continuing.  
"Water, food, more clothes..." He stopped when his gaze fell on my wallet.  
I watched him throw my bras, and panties aside as he gripped the small black leather pouch.

"GET OUT OF MY THINGS!" Yelling so loud hurt, but I couldn't shake the humiliation of a man pushing through everything I own.  
It was bad enough that he was throwing my underclothes around, but the fact that he might discover my identity was even worse.  
The Senshingumi probably didn't know the name of the woman they were searching for, but it was too risky.  
"Rein..? Where is your last name?" He turned to look at me again, but I dropped my gaze. I couldn't fight this any more.  
The wall between us was too strong, and the doors had no handles on the inside.  
"What's your last name?" He repeated, and I wondered if I should explain. A loud sigh slipped form my lips, and I gave in.

"I don't know. I don't have one." He stared at me in disbelief, shaking his head.  
"That's not possible. Stop lying, tell me."  
Annoyance crept over me, and I felt my temper surge.  
"I already told you I don't have one!" I snapped the words at him, and leaned back to kick the barrier between us, but it hurt too much.

"Stop. You're going to reopen your wound. I already had to sew it up once, and I won't do it again..." His eyes never shifted away from mine, and I gave up.  
Still weak from my battle, I just couldn't push any more.  
"Take me home..." I sighed grumpily.  
"Just because you collect rain water doesn't mean it's suitable to live there. You didn't even have a bed. Where did you sleep?"  
"None of your damn business." Already tired from exerting myself so quickly, I turned away from him.

An image of me sitting on the cold concrete of the building popped into my mind.  
I slept with my back against the wall, clenching my bag; so to discourage any thieves from trying to take it.  
My sword leaned against my shoulder, and my arms were crossed.

"Who is this a picture of? You said you don't have any family."  
His voice snapped me out of my trance.  
He held my wallet up, pointing to a picture of Chizuru; my sister.  
Rolling my eyes, I just shook my head.  
"Get out of my shit."

* * *

When we arrived back at the Senshingumi headquarters, Hijikata took my sword and weapons away before letting me out.  
"You'd be in big trouble if anybody else saw all of those knives... Let's talk to Kondo, and see what he wants to do. Women aren't allowed here, so we'll have to figure something out." Opening my door he extended a hand towards me, but I ignored it, and stepped out and past him.  
The gesture seemed to annoy him, but he didn't comment.  
"Just take me back home... Give me my sword back..." I flashed him a dark look, and he acted as though he hadn't heard me.  
Opening his coat, he pulled a pack of cigarettes out, and lifted one to his lips.  
"I don't trust you. You can't have that thing around here." He eyed me, as he brought a lighter to his smoke.  
After a moment of silence I snatched the cigarette from his mouth and raised it to my own lips.  
"Nobody asked you how you feel..." With that I stormed away from him.  
Nothing but frustration fueled me right now.  
Who did the people think they were? They forcefully took me from my home, and now they wouldn't let me return!  
Hijikata stared after me for a moment, before following and lighting another cigarette.

"Kondo, when we return to her house..." Hijikata shifted his gaze towards me, holding an intense expression.  
"She, umm... Her landlord kicked her out for being late with the rent... Apparently it was due when she was sleeping, and she had already been a little late before..." He looked at me again, and I crossed my arms.  
"Really? That's horrible!" The gorilla man exclaimed, standing up.  
"What should we do then, Toushiro? Where could she stay? It's kind of our fault for not finding where she lived and explaining. Should we go back and try to talk to the landlord?"  
Hijikata dropped his head slightly, before shaking it.  
"No use, the man's not going to listen. He said he didn't care if her mother died, or something."  
I peered up at him oddly.

_'Why is he lying for me? I've been rude to him since we first met, and he's still trying to help me..?'_

"That's so cruel! Why would he say something like that?!" Kondo shook his fist frowning.

_'This man is too trusting...'_

"And her family lives over seas." Hijikata motioned to me, and I just stared at the two men coldly.  
"It's so tragic! How did all of this happen to you?! What have you done to deserve this!?" Kondo wailed the words, and for a second I wondered if he would cry.  
It wasn't even the truth, and he appeared to be on the verge of tears.  
He sat back down on his desk, placing his head in his hand.  
"We'll figure something out... We'll help! Even if we have to use that old building outside..." He slammed his fist on the desk, closing his eyes.  
Hijikata seemed surprised, but I couldn't tell if it was from his actions of his statement.

"Is that building considered a part of the Senshingumi?" He asked, and Kondo shook his head.  
"In older days it was used as a house for the wives to live in... It needs some cleaning up..." Kondo ran hand over his hair, and Hijikata nodded.  
"She'll stay there until she can find another place." The gorilla stated.  
"Where do you work?" He shifted his attention to me, and I turned away from him.  
"I..." It wasn't a good idea to tell them that I was a mercenary for hire so instead, I shrugged.  
"Work is hard to come by... I take random jobs..."  
He nodded for a moment until turning to Hijikata.  
"Maybe she could ask Gintoki for a job here and there, he does run the Yorozura after all."  
Hijikata scoffed at his statement.  
"That stupid perm is always broke, how could he help her?"  
"It's worth a try..." Kondo answered.

_'Yorozura? Odd jobs?'_

I didn't know who Gintoki was, but the possibility of asking him to help me find the white haired samurai compelled me to agree.

* * *

Later that evening, I grabbed my bag and took it to a small empty building just outside of the Senshingumi.  
It was covered in dust, and spiders had claimed the walls.  
_'Apparently these men don't get married very often...'  
_Sighing, I left to retrieve a broom.  
After sweeping the place, I shifted my attention to the furniture.  
It was old and a bit worn down, but If I could tell that if I washed everything it would almost look new.  
_'What the hell? Why am I thinking of this as if it's going to be my home? I need to stop those kinds of thoughts... It's foolish... They'll just cloud my mind...'_

Moving to the bed against the wall, I pulled the sheets off.  
They were old and musty, the color had started to fade as well; probably due to the light from the window.  
Taking them back to the main building I walked to Hijikata.  
"Oi... Are there any more sheets?"  
He nodded, and stared at the ones in my hands.  
It probably looked odd for me to be carrying around a pile of dirty rags, so I threw them in the first trash can I saw.  
He led me to a small closet and handed me some fresh bedding.

I really wasn't much of a conversationalist, but I knew that this would be one of the only times I would be near him.  
That said, I decided to ask him a question that had been on my mind since we spoke to Kondo.  
"Hijikata-San, why did you lie for me?"  
He calmly shifted his gaze away.  
"I didn't do anything for you. It would make me look bad if you showed up again and word about your living situation got out."  
Slowly nodding I let his statement sink in.  
It wasn't surprising, actually it made more sense for somebody to do a thing like that for themselves.  
Nobody ever did anything for me.  
"I see." Unable to think of anything else to say, I turned away.

"I want my blades back..." Peering at him over my shoulder I scowled.  
He returned my expression, crossing his arms.  
"What the hell's wrong with you? For crying out loud, you're a woman! Act like one! Put a decent Yukata on, and thank people for doing you a favor!"  
He spoke in a harsh tone, and I turned back to him.  
"I am no woman. I'm a Soldier, and I need my weapons for my job."  
He eyed me curiously.  
"What exactly do you do?"

Knowing I couldn't answer, I just shook my head.  
"That's not your business." With that I walked away, casting him a slight wave over my shoulder.

This man was asking too many questions.  
It was dangerous to speak to him, and I would have to watch my answers.


	5. Don't Ask Questions

Back in my new room, I sat on a small chair in front of a vanity.  
I knew everything in the small house was old, but they were honestly the nicest things I had seen in a while.  
The nicest things I could call mine at least.  
I uncovered the mirror of the vanity and gazed at myself for a moment.  
Normally the only time I saw myself was in glass, or water.  
Now I had an actual mirror in front of me.  
Not knowing what to think of my appearance I ran a hand over my dark hair.  
It was long, and straight. I never really did anything with it, as my hair was never one of my concerns.  
If I was in a good mood I might run a comb through it, but otherwise I just worked out all of the tangles with my fingers, and smoothed it down.  
I shifted my attention to my face, and was met with a pair of steel grey eyes.

The reflection started to chew on her dark lips, and I became uneasy.  
Staring at myself was not productive, and I never felt the need to before.  
I grabbed my bag, and combed my hair.  
It didn't look much different when I was done.  
Standing up, I started to put the sheets on my new bed.

_'What did he mean a decent yukata..? This one is fine...'  
_Peering down at myself, I studied the grey robe.  
Maybe it was because I didn't tie it shut properly?  
I just draped it around myself, and let it hang open.  
It wasn't like I was naked underneath; my underclothes weren't shear like the normal kind women would wear  
Sighing in frustration at the useless thoughts that seemed to pour into my mind; as if somebody was holding a pitcher over my head, I placed the pillows back at the top of the bed.  
_'I'll kill him..! If he says anything else about how I look... It doesn't matter!'_

Just as I was about to lay down, there was a knock at the door. I turned to look at it, frowning.  
"Hey, Rein-San, open up!"  
It was Hijikata.  
Gripping my robe, I made my way to the door, and let him in.  
"What?" My voice was flat, and I raised an eyebrow at him, crossing my arms.  
"You need food right? Here." He extended a plastic container towards me.  
I eyed it oddly. I hadn't realized how hunry I really was until I saw the food.  
It had been two weeks since I had eaten, and that would explain why I felt faint.  
_'How do I know he's not trying to poison me..? He must know who I am.'_

After a moment of hesitation, I grabbed it, and set it on a nearby desk, muttering a thanks.  
"Take off your robe."  
My eyes widened at his statement.  
"Excuse me?" A scowl slipped across my face, until I noticed the small bag at his side.  
"You're wounds, stupid. I'm here to change your bandages." He offered no more details, before walking to the bed, and sitting on it.  
I watched him for a few seconds, before following.  
He unzipped the bag, and grabbed some disinfectant, and a cloth.  
"Sit down." He glared up at me, and I mirrored the expression before complying.

When I sat down he moved me, so my back was facing him.  
He then reached around my shoulders, and pulled my robe down.  
It was an odd sensation, as nobody ever touched me, but I tried my best to ignore it.  
His hands were warm against my skin as he slipped them under the bandages, and began to loosen the wrap around my torso.  
An uncomfortable emotion crept over me, and I covered my chest with my arm.  
I had no clue what it could possibly be, but it angered me, and I clenched my teeth to keep from voicing my discomfort.  
"Turn to face me... This is going to burn."

I did as instructed, and when I turned to him, I noticed that he was doing his best not to look at me.  
He had turned his head away, and only shifted his gaze to me to examine the wound.  
"Rein-San... You have to move your arm, or switch them, I cant see the gash like this..."

"Wh- Don't look..." Stopping myself from exclaiming 'What?!', I turned back away from him, and switched my left arm over my breasts.  
I was already bad enough being almost naked in front of him, but to know that he might actually see me only made me more uneasy.  
When I faced him again, I held myself up, so he could see the full stab wound.  
"You're lucky... It didn't hit anything important, and there was no internal bleeding... But your rib is-"  
"I know... It's not the first time I've had a fractured bone..." I shifted my gaze away from him and he poured the disinfectant over the cloth.  
Without a word he placed it against my wound.  
I know it should hurt, but I had a thing for pain.  
It didn't really hurt in a bad way unless it was serious, something like alcohol on a wound actually felt good.  
I didn't make a sound, just chewed on my lips until he finished.  
Each breath that I drew was painful, but not unbearable.  
I had dealt with many worse injuries in the past.  
Hijikata leaned forward as he wrapped the new gauze around me.  
When he gazed up at me, he seemed to realize my discomfort.  
I expected him to laugh, but he just looked away.  
It looked as though he was blushing, but the room wasn't bright enough for me to be sure.

"You can- Er, turn around, I need to wrap it around your chest, and over your shoulder, you have cuts on your back..."  
Nodding, I turned away again, and he proceeded to wrap me up, after pushing my hair out of the way.

When he finished he motioned to my leg.  
"Let me take care of that too." I considered his offer, but it was too awkward.  
I couldn't stand to have somebody this close to me.  
As he waited for my answer he reached into his jacket and pulled a cigarette out.  
Facing him, I watched as he lit it.  
He stared at me, for a second, before extending it in my direction.  
I didn't know how to react until he nodded towards it motioning for me to take the smoke; so I did.  
"You had no problem snatching one away, but when I offer one to you you hesitate?"  
He raised an eyebrow at me and I scowled.  
"Shut up."  
Realizing how rude I sounded when I spoke to him, I decided to not respond to his annoying comments

Running a hand through his hair, he scowled at me.  
"Just remove the gauze from your leg!" He snapped the words, and I shifted my gaze.  
"No, it's fine... I umm... I'll take care of it..." Handing the cigarette back to him, I stood up, holding my ribs.  
"I guess I should say thank you..." Peering at him over my shoulder I pulled my robe back over myself.  
He didn't respond, just leaned onto the foot of my bed.  
"So... You never told me what your job is. Why do you need your sword?"  
I walked to the table where I had set the food down.  
"It's special." Being as frank as possible, I moved back to the bed ignoring his first question.  
"You keep saying that... How?" He sounded genuinely interested, which was odd to me.  
Sighing loudly, I sat back down.

"It belonged to my master." I spoke before thinking about it, and immediately wished I hadn't said anything.  
He was asking too many questions, and it made me suspicious.  
Why did he want to know? What good would the information do?

"Master? Hmm..." He placed a hand to his chin nodding.  
"And your job?"  
Ignoring him I opened the food container.  
It was mostly rice, but there were a few vegetables and some strips of meat that resembled beef.  
It took a moment for me to actually start to eat it.  
The only reason I did was because I figured that they would try to get information out of me before killing me.

"Rein-San, your job?" He repeated.  
Turning my head to peer at him I tried to think of something to say.  
"I told you I take small jobs that come along..."  
He nodded before speaking again.  
"But why do you need the sword?"  
"I-" Stopping myself I considered the worst thing that could happen if I were to tell him.  
Maybe arrest, maybe I would have to escape, like I should have in the beginning.  
"Why do you keep asking me all of these questions?!" Flashing him a menacing look, I lifted a piece of beef with my chopsticks.  
"Stop yelling at me, damn it! I'm just curious! It's not every day that we come across a woman with a sword injured as badly as you are. Actually we never really meet women with swords, it _is _illegal after all!" He shook his fist as he yelled, and I rolled my eyes.

_'Maybe if I tell him, it wouldn't be too bad... He did help me after all...'_

"Well..." I started, staring at him intensely. "I'm a free lance... A mercenary, you could say..." A look of shock crossed his face, and he stared at me wide eyed.  
"You? Why- Well... Were you..?" He shifted his gaze, and I stood up slowly.  
"Some questions are better left unasked... Or unanswered." I could tell that he was piecing together who I was.  
Without a word I left the house; I didn't want to speak any more.


	6. My Job

Night fall was quickly approaching, and I walked in the shadow of the remaining day.  
Many odd things had happened already, but it didn't discourage me from leaving.  
The only thing that kept me here was my Master's sword.  
Nothing else mattered but that.  
One thing that Hijikata hadn't found was the dagger in my combat boots.  
As long a I had that, I could still take jobs.  
Despite my injuries, I decided to go back to the warehouse district. There was always a job awaiting me there.

"Takasugi-Sama, I apologize for taking so long..." I knelt on the floor in front of him, bowing my head.  
He had hired me two weeks ago, and i had failed to return.  
The one eyed man fixed his gaze on me, scowling.  
"You took over two weeks, Rein-San. I won't pay you full price this time."  
His words caused me to mimic his expression, but he couldn't see it.  
"I got injured. Forgive me." It was the only thing I could think to say.  
Takasugi was a very strict man so speaking to him out of turn or in the wrong tone of voice was a grave mistake that I was always careful to avoid.

"One of your men stabbed me, while I was fighting a white haired samurai. It was not my intention to be late. You told me some of your men may turn on me, but I hadn't expected-"  
"That is no excuse." He cut me off, and I bit my lip.  
_'How dare this man speak to me in such a tone...'  
_

Swallowing my pride I nodded.  
"Tell me sir, is there another job I may do to redeem myself?"  
He remained silent for a few minutes, before nodding.  
"There is one thing... A man has been leaking information, I need you to take him out. He lives alone, single male so it should be simple... Do it silently, and I'll triple your payment." An amused smirk seeped onto his lips, and I nodded once again.  
"Yes sir, what is his location?"

* * *

When night had fallen, I slipped between the shadows of the buildings and to the house I had been instructed to go to.  
Peering into the window, I saw the man, my target, sitting on a couch.  
Killing wasn't my favorite thing to do, but when it came down to it, I needed to survive.  
As long as it was a man, no children, or women.  
The only time I would erase a woman, would be if she was very dangerous, or a threat to myself.  
Silently slipping into the house, my gaze settled on something that only made my job easier.

There was blood on the ground, and the wall, accompanied with a woman's high heel.  
The man remained on the couch, still oblivious to my presence. He was the only one in the house, just as stated.  
A bottle of rum sat on the table in front of him, and he stared at the T.V intently.  
I made my move, pulling my dagger out I revealed myself.  
It was not my style to kill somebody without warning.  
Everybody should be given a chance to make their peace. To pray, or whatever else they felt necessary.

When the man saw me, he jumped back, obviously surprised. He stayed put, staring at me wide eyed.  
"T-Terry? I- I- I told you not to come back! You made me do it! I didn't mean to kill you! I really didn't! You... _You made me!_"  
_'He's delusional...'_

The situation was exactly what I expected. There was a reason that the high heel was in this house. That pool of blood was most likely not his.  
"I came back for my shoe..." Instead of revealing who I was, I decided to play along.  
"No... Don't take it... I wanted to remember you..."  
"It belongs to me." I retorted, and the man scowled in return.  
"No!" He jumped to his feet, and unsteadily started towards me. Obviously intoxicated, he stumbled along the way.  
"So you killed me?" My voice was firm, and he nodded.  
"But it was a mistake, if you hadn't fought me back then it wouldn't have gotten so far!"

He continued to approach me.  
"You keep coming back. You keep fucking with me! Just go away! I'll kill you again! Maybe you'll actually leave forever this time!"  
I remained in place, watching the crazy man, as he started to reach into his pocket.  
Knowing that it would be a bad idea to wait for him to pull whatever he was reaching for out, I stepped forward, and plunged my dagger into his stomach.  
After gasping, he froze in place shocked.  
"Revenge is a bitch, huh?" I raised my eyebrow as I spoke, and pulled the dagger back. All I had to do was finish him off.

* * *

When I returned to Takasugi, I handed him the man's eye. He seemed pleased, and paid me as promised.  
"Always a pleasure to work with you Rein-San. Come back when you need more." A sinister grin curled his lips, and I nodded shoving my payment into my pocket. After using a small rag to wipe the blood from my hands and face, I started back to the Senshingumi headquarters.  
It was odd to think that a killer like me lived with them. That they actually helped me, and hadn't tried to arrest me yet.  
I knew it would only be a matter of time, and I needed to prepare for something to go wrong with them.

When I returned to the building Kondo had let me stay in, I flipped the light on, and dropped my robe to the ground.  
My rib hurt with each breath I drew, and I slowly lowered myself onto the bed.  
A knock at the door, caused me to look in the direction of the noise, but before I responded it swung open.  
"Where the hell have you been?" Hijikata walked in, and I sighed loudly.

_'Not him again...'  
_

"What's with you and the fucking questions?" I gazed at the ceiling as I spoke, and he scoffed at my response.  
"You just walked off into the night! You've been gone for hours! What the hell were you thinking?! You need to rest!" He seemed angered, and I didn't understand why. He walked over to where I lay and continued.  
"If you don't let your-" He stopped immediately and stared at me wide eyed.  
"Is that... Blood?"

"Hmm?" Frowning, I sat up slowly, so not to hurt myself.  
"You have blood on your face... What did you-"  
I cut him off. It was best to stop him from asking something that I knew he would hate the answer to.  
He was a cop after all. He could not be trusted.  
"I didn't do anything. It's probably just paint." Shifting my gaze away, I reached up trying to find what he was talking about.  
"You didn't... Did you?" His voice got low, and I couldn't hear what he asked, so I ignored him.  
"Get out. You're annoying." He scowled at me, and turned away.  
"You're gonna explain this to me. Whether you want to or not." His voice was a low growl, and I rolled my eyes.  
He couldn't make me explain anything.

Hijikata stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind himself.  
If I had been in a better mood, I might have snickered at his temper tantrum; but that hurt more then breathing.


	7. Cops are Smarter Then You Think

The following morning I awoke to the sound of Hijikata speaking.  
"Wake up, Rein. You have someone to meet today."  
I peered up at him scowling.  
"How are you even sleeping like that? You aren't even laying down!"  
He motioned to me, and I nodded.  
"I know."  
I was sitting on the bed, clutching my bag as usual. He eyed me oddly before walking to the door.  
"Get dressed. Take a shower, do something. Just wake up." After groaning the words, he left, and I sat forward, away from the wall.  
I pulled a dark grey Yukata from my bag, and left the room.

Upon entering the Senshingumi building, a familiar voice beside me caught my attention.  
"Oi, I thought you were dead already!"  
My gaze settled on the sandy haired man. They had called him Sougo when they found me.  
Scowling, I continued past him.  
"Me too."

The water of the shower wasn't as bad as before, and I quickly combed my hair out, and wrapped fresh bandages around myself.  
When I was done I left the bathroom, and searched for the annoying raven haired cop.  
It took about five minutes before I found him training with a few other members of the Senshingumi.  
Instead of speaking I leaned against the door frame, and watched the men.  
The "battle" seemed to be pretty relaxed, basic blocking, and counter attacks.  
Apparently Hijikata hadn't noticed that I was watching, and when he did glance my way, his defense weakened.  
The opposing officer brought his bokken down on the vice commander, and Hijikata's blade dipped in, smacking him in the head.  
Unable to contain myself I laughed; it hurt.  
Grimacing I grasped my ribs, and leaned forward.  
Suddenly the scene didn't seem funny, while holding the door frame to steady myself;  
or maybe it was just the pain.

Others were laughing too, and Hijikata turned to the men behind him.  
"Don't laugh, that was a demonstration of how easy it is to slip up. Don't lose concentration, or you'll die by your own blade."  
A low murmur broke out over the men.  
Hijikata retained his cool composure, until Sougo spoke up.  
"More like a demonstration of your incompetence." A small smile took Sougo's lips and the men all laughed again.  
The raven haired man tightened his jaw obviously embarrassed.  
"Damn it Sougo, shut up! I just told you it was a demonstration! Lets start again..."  
Hijikata turned back to his opponent, and the next round was much more enthusiastic.

Losing interest, I left the room. Maybe there was something more interesting to do. Something like search for my weapons?  
The men were occupied, and it seemed to be the perfect time to do a little snooping.  
Walking from the courtyard and into the main building I stared at all of the doors.  
Each one probably led to a separate room, and there seemed to be no way to tell who they belonged to.  
Just as I started to lose hope, Kondo stepped out of his office and started towards me.  
"Hey Rein! How's everything going so far?" He seemed cheerful as usual.  
"Erm, Good... Good. Hey, Kondou-San, Hijikata-San told me I could have one of his cigarettes but he left them in his room.  
I don't know where it is though." Thinking quickly I found a convincing reason to ask him for help.  
"Really, that's odd, he never leaves his cigarettes... He must be having an off day."  
I nodded in response.  
"He even got hit with his own sword earlier."  
Kondou stared at me in disbelief, and I just shrugged.  
"Well... His room is right there." He pointed to a door on the opposite side of the large room, and I thanked him.

Staring at the wooden paneling beneath my feet, I tried to guess where he would hide my things.  
After slipping into his room, I closed the door behind myself silently. It was dark, and plain.  
The only things in it were a bed, a dresser and a closet.  
The room smelled like him, and I started to feel slightly overwhelmed.  
Taking a deep breath I moved to his bed.  
_'If I was an idiot, where would I hide some weapons?'_

Nothing was under the bed but a few lock boxes.  
Since I didn't see any keys I shifted my attention to his drawers.  
The only things I found the the drawers were clothes, and bottles of mayonnaise.  
It seemed very unhealthy, and for a moment, I wondered how the hell he was so skinny if he ate that much of the oily condiment.  
Giving up on the drawers I walked to the closet. Upon sliding it open, I found more clothes, and boxes.  
A smooth dark object caught my eye.  
_'That's it..! That's my sword!'  
_Excitement coursed through me, and the moment I reached towards it, the door opened.  
"Don't touch it Rein..."  
Hijikata walked into the room, and apparently he knew exactly what I was doing.  
I gazed at him over my shoulder.  
For some reason my body froze when I had been caught, and I could do nothing but stare at him, as he pulled a cigarette from his coat.  
"What the hell do you think you're doing? Nobody told you that you could come in my room."

Breaking free from whatever was binding my body and mind, I scowled at him.  
"You went through my shit. At least I'm not throwing your boxers around."  
He shifted his gaze, and I reached for my blade.  
The moment I touched it, he was behind my yanking me back.  
"Leave it alone. You should be thankful that I haven't told anybody about your little collection of illegal weapons."  
I gazed down at his hands which rested on my shoulders.  
"Don't touch me..."  
Pulling away from him, I reached for the sword again, but he continued to restrain me. Crying out in frustration, I tried to break free of his grasp.  
When I finally managed to I shoved him back, and he grabbed onto me, pulling me with him.  
We fell to the ground, and I immediately felt awkward. We we're to close for comfort. Now I was practically laying on him.  
As if that wasn't enough, he rolled onto of me and pinned me down.  
"Gotcha."  
I stared up at him wide eyed. He caught my gaze and glared at me, causing me to grow even more uneasy.  
"I told you not to worry about the weapons right now. I didn't turn you in, what more could you ask for?  
It seems pretty obvious exactly who you are, and why you want your sword back. Last night we got a call...  
A man had been murdered in his house. Apparently that man had also killed his girlfriend about a week ago..."  
He paused, and I found myself unable to change my expression.  
The only thing I could do was try to push myself deeper into the floor, but that obviously doesn't work on Tatami mats.  
"He was missing an eye... You came back last night with blood on your face... And Yukata... Your dagger wasn't clean either..."  
I gasped lightly.  
_'How does he know about the dagger?'_

"I told you it was paint!" Scooting out from under him I ignored the pain in my ribs.  
"G- Get off of me!" He let me go, and I continued to move away from him.  
My robe had fallen open, and when I rose to my feet, I readjusted it, and quickly exited the room.

_'He knows who I am! He knows!'_


	8. Drop the Details

Soft morning light caressed my face, and cast a warm sensation over me.  
A gust of wind blew my hair into my face, and I pushed the illuminated strands behind my ear.  
I had run away from Hijikata, as he had figured out who I am, and even found my latest victim.  
Despite the beauty of the day, I was internally panicking.  
_'The first thing I need to do is get me bag... Tonight I need to find my weapons, and take my sword; I'll leave before dawn.'_

Moving as quickly as possible I grabbed my bag, shoving the comb I had left by the vanity inside of it.  
I almost decided that was everything before my gaze set on the pillow I had been using.  
_'This would be nice to have...'_

After stuffing that into my bag as well, I sat on the bed trying to establish a plan.  
_'Maybe I can sneak into the barracks tonight and get into his closet without him noticing... If I take somebody out on the street, they'll get a call and I can make my move then.'  
_

I nodded to myself, until I thought about it. A loud sigh parted my lips, and I dropped my head.  
_'I can't just kill a random person... That's not my style. What if it's a father, or an important political figure? I wouldn't be able to forgive myself.  
Maybe he was just trying to see if I would admit to it. If I don't admit, he can't be sure it was me. I should just act like I don't know what he's talking about.'_

A knock at the door broke my train of thought, and once again Hijikata walked in without waiting for a response.

"Rein-San we need to go. Are you ready?"  
Giving him a slight nod, I stood up, and walked to his side.  
He eyed me oddly as I did. The look could only be described as a semi-scowl.  
"You know, running away how you did is like an admission of guilt."  
I peered up at him blankly.  
"What are you talking about? Guilt?" My voice was innocent, but he just rolled his eyes.  
"Don't try to play dumb with me. You know exactly what I'm talking about.  
Stop acting stupid, if I was going to report you, I would have done it without telling you I knew. I kept your weapons a secret, didn't I?"

I stared up at him wide eyed, and for once a small smirk graced his lips.  
"I just want to know... Why did you kill him?"  
The question was one that I knew I shouldn't answer.  
My teeth began to press down on my lower lip as I wondered if it was okay.  
He had kept my secrets so far; even made up excuses for me.

_'What harm could it do? I already made a plan to leave...'_

"Well-" I drew a deep breath, and steel clashed with gun-metal blue as our eyes met.  
"Some people deserve what's coming to them... The guy saw me, and started calling me Terry, and saying I made him kill me. I just figured he was delusional..."

Hijikata nodded, and took a notepad and pen out of his coat.  
"Terry?" He asked, and I nodded.  
"Why- What are you writing?" Immediately nervous I frowned.  
"We couldn't identify the woman... Thanks, you just helped us get a little closer to solving a case." When he closed the notepad, he peered down at me, and a wide grin spread across his face.  
Not knowing how to respond I just leaned away from him, still frowning but now wide eyed.  
My jaw had become slack, and I tried to make sense of why he was being nice to me.  
Before I could find the reason he started to chuckle.  
"What's up with that face?!"  
His laugh grew louder, and he patted me on the head.  
Still slightly taken aback, I straightened myself, and glared up at him darkly.

_'He's touching me...'_

* * *

3rd Person, Earlier that day at the Yorozura.

Kagura leaned over the rail of the balcony in front of the front door.  
The girl sighed loudly before returning to the house.  
She had run out of sukonbu in the middle of the night, and Shinpachi refused to get her more; so she couldn't sleep.  
She tried hitting him, and harassing him in any way she could think of, but to no avail.  
Every body else was asleep, and she stormed around the house trying to think of something to do.  
She would not accept defeat so easily. Staring in the cabinet of the kitchen she saw a small box which read 'Sukonbu'.  
Grabbing it excitedly her happiness was short lived when she found it was empty.  
"Why the hell do we have an empty box still in the cupboard?!"  
Angrily throwing the box on the ground, she slammed the cabinet closed, causing the door to crash to the ground.

"OI! SHUT UP!" It was clearly Gintoki who was yelling at her, and she scowled in return.  
"You shut up, you good for nothing lousy perm head!" He didn't respond, and Kagura just poked her lip out.  
She knew if he had yelled back, she would have had a chance to get her beloved kelp, but he didn't fall into her plan_.  
'If I break things he'll get up...' _

Nodding to herself, she slammed her fist into the counter; causing it to easily crumble into the lower cabinet.  
Next she slammed more of the cupboard doors, breaking each as she did.  
After a few minutes Shinpachi walked into the kitchen lazily. "What are you doing Kagura-Chan?!" His words were met with a wicked grin.  
"Shinpachi..." Kagura loomed closer to him, and he knew this interaction would result in an extreme amount of pain.  
Just before she reached him, Gintoki walked out of his room.

"What the hell is going on out here?! Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?" He rubbed a hand over the side of his face, and into his hair.  
Gintoki was obviously annoyed, and as he walked his foot crushed a small box on the ground.  
Looking at the box which had caved around the shape of his foot, he shook his leg around until it flew off.

Kagura gazed at the box, her eyes suddenly covered by the shadow of her fringe.  
Gintoki and Shinpachi watched her curiously, and when the girl raised her head her eyes were full of tears.  
"What's wrong with her? What did you do to her Shinpachi?" Gin frantically turned to the glasses wearing boy, who shook his head shrugging; he was just as alarmed as Gin.  
"I didn't do anything! I swear!"

Kagura walked to the smashed box on the ground, and picked it up lovingly, almost cradling it against her.  
She stared up at Gintoki and Shinpachi from where she was crouched on the ground.  
"This box was full of my hopes and dreams..." Feigning a pathetic voice the girl pouted, and Shinpachi turned to face Gintoki.  
"Did you hear her? You crushed her dreams!" Shinpachi placed his hands to his cheeks, pushing his mouth out as he spoke.  
Gintoki shook his head quickly.  
"What were they doing on the floor?! I didn't see them!"  
He mimicked Shinpachi for a moment before walking over to Kagura.  
"Would you feel better if I got you some sukonbu?"

She nodded slowly, still glossy eyed. Gin immediately turned around and started away.  
"You heard her Shinpachi. Get some strawberry milk too."  
"WHAT? You're sending me? You said you'd do it!" He frowned at Gintoki as he spoke, but Gintoki just calmly smiled at him over his shoulder.  
"A good man should be like a GPS: helpful to others in stressful situations and quiet enough to listen." With that he walked away.  
Defeated by Gin's use of similes, Shinpachi sighed and left the house.

The sneaky Yato girl sat on the floor deviously smiling to herself; her plan had worked brilliantly. Snickering she threw the box across the room.


	9. Don't I Know You?

"Do you mind if I roll the window down?'  
I turned to face Hijikata and he shook his head in response.  
The moment the glass lowered, a gust of wind wildly blew my hair towards him.  
Quickly grabbing it, I pulled it around my shoulder to keep it out of his face.  
It wasn't very common for me to ride in a car, so whenever I got the chance I loved to feel the breeze from the window.

A joyous grin curled my lips, and I tilted my head to the side slightly chuckling.  
The car slowed and I shifted my attention ahead of us, seeing that we had come to a red light.  
Still smiling I felt a pair of eyes on me. I turned to look at Hijikata, who was watching me with an odd expression.  
"What?" Immediately pushing the expression off of my face I raised an eyebrow at him.  
He shifted his gaze, tightening his grasp on the steering wheel.  
"N- Nothing."

* * *

Ten minutes later the car came to a halt in front of a small restaurant.  
The sign read 'Otose's Snack Shop', and I turned to face Hijikata.  
"You're hungry?"  
He shook his head and pointed to the building above the shop.  
"Gintoki lives up there. Come on."  
We got out of the car, and he lead me up the stairs.

After we knocked on the door, a young boy pulled it open.  
"Hijikata-San, what are you doing here? Who's this?"  
The boy motioned to me and Hijikata glanced in my direction.  
"This is Rein-San. Rein, this is Shinpachi."  
I glared up at Hijikata. He had omitted the respectful San from my name, and I didn't quite know how to react.  
"Nice to meet you Rein-San!" Shinpachi grinned, and bowed lightly. I returned his motion, remaining silent.  
"We're here to see Gintoki, Kondo wanted to ask a favor of him." Hijikata was the next to speak and Shinpachi nodded.  
"Okay, one second, he's washing his hair, I'll get him."  
Shinpachi walked away, and soon a girl with red hair walked by the door.  
She stopped when she saw us, curiously staring at me.  
"Oi, Mayora-San, who's this?" The girl walked up to us, still eying me.  
"Is it your girlfriend? Nah, that doesn't make sense..."  
Hijikata was growing very obviously annoyed. He clenched his fist and jaw before yelling a response at her.  
"No! This is Rein! We found her a few weeks ago, she's just a friend!"  
We both stared up at him oddly.  
_'Did he just call me a friend?'_

"Rein, this is Kagura!" He awkwardly turned to me, practically yelling.  
"Okay..." I couldn't think to say anything else.  
_'Is he blushing?'_

My thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.  
"Oi, Oogushi-Kun!"  
Kagura turned around, and Hijikata leaned forward, probably searching for his friend.  
"Who the hell is Oogushi?!" He retorted when the man walked to the door.

The man in front of me was apparently Gintoki, he wore a robe, and had a towel wrapped around his head.  
Something about him seemed vaguely familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it.  
"She's staying in the wives quarters at the Senshingumi barracks. Kondou thought you might be able to help her find some work. She says she takes random jobs." Hijikata motioned to me, and I just watched the two men silently. Gintoki peered down at me, and I met his eyes.  
_'What about this man is so familiar?'_

"No way, I'm not splitting money with this idiot. I need everything I get."  
Hijikata seemed annoyed by his response.  
"Shut up, you don't have to be so rude right in front of her! I told Kondou it would be stupid to ask you.  
Whatever, anyways, if you find something you can share just call us, or come over. I'm sure she'd be happy to help you. Right?"  
He turned to look at me, and I shifted my gaze between the two men.  
"I guess." They both watched me, probably trying to decipher my blank expression.

"Damn it, fine Oogushi. I have a job today. Girl, stay here; you can help us." Gintoki rolled his eyes, and Hijikata nodded.  
"Her name is Rein." He corrected before turning his attention to me.  
"When you're done, just call me or ask Gintoki for a ride. Do you have a phone?"  
I shook my head in response, and he sighed.  
"Okay, well have Gintoki call me." After motioning to the tall man, he started away.  
Gintoki and I stared at each other for a minute, neither of us speaking.  
"Oi, girl, you look familiar... Were you the guest author for the latest issue of JUMP?"  
Puzzled I shook my head.  
"No."


	10. Kids and Snakes

I sat on the couch waiting for the man known as Gintoki to finish getting dressed. Shinpachi and Kagura were also getting ready for the job.  
The only thing I could do was remain where I was seated until they were finished.  
Kagura was the first one to come out, and she wore a fake mustache and turban.  
"Are you ready? This time were gonna make a lot! I'm gonna bring lots of business our way!"  
She seemed enthusiastic enough.  
Next Gintoki exited his room, wearing a turban, and some tan pants.  
I tried my best not to look at him; as his chest was exposed.  
Only weak woman fall for such a trap, and that was not me.

"Alright lets go!" Gintoki motioned to Kagura, and myself.  
We started away, and I turned to face the room again.  
"What about Shinpachi?" Searching the room, I could find no sign of the boy, and Gintoki laughed.  
"He has an important job today, don't worry about him." Gintoki responded.  
"Oi, brat, grab that bag there." He pointed to a large tan sack and Kagura nodded.  
At first I thought she might say it was too big, but the girl easily lifted the bag over her shoulder.  
_'She must be a Yato...'_

* * *

My suspicion was confirmed when the girl used an umbrella to shield herself from the sun.  
We walked down the street for about an hour before Gintoki sat down.  
Kagura sat the bag in a box in front of us, and pulled two eye patches out of her pocket.  
"Here, put this on, Eyebrow-San."  
She extended the eye patch in my direction, and I stared at it curiously before taking it.  
"Eyebrow-San?" I asked and she nodded.  
"You have a line in your eyebrow."  
It was true; a year ago one of my targets tried to cut my eye out, but I looked down causing him to slice my eyebrow instead.  
I had never paid the scar much attention, but it seemed awkward for somebody to choose that as my defining feature.

I slid the eye patch on, and Gintoki handed me a flute.  
"You know what to do." He gave me a thumbs up, and immediately I scowled.  
_'No I don't...'_

Kagura started to walk into the crowd yelling loudly.  
"Ladies and gentlemen! That man's going to make a snake dance out of that basket over there! If you want to watch, put your money in this bag!"

_'Snake? It's just a cardboard box...' _I stared at the large bag in front of us.  
_'How big is this thing gonna be?!'_

Gintoki began to play the flute- badly.  
It was more like the screech of a dying parrot, but I reluctantly joined in; which only made it worse.  
Flutes were not my thing, however, guitars seemed more natural.

We remained sitting on the sidewalk Indian style and a crowd of people surrounded us.  
I felt humiliated, we were both just sitting there playing flutes as horribly as possible.

Soon something inside of the bag began to stir.  
We continued to desecrate the name of all flutes ever made, but that didn't stop me from staring at the sack wide eyed.  
The crowd began to stir, and small children pointed.  
The snake in the bag began to raise up and I was amazed at the size of it.  
I could only see the hood of the cobra, but as it slithered farther up.  
I stopped playing the flute and my expression fell blank.  
It was Shinpachi dressed as a king cobra, and he wore a stupid expression.  
He continued to slither around, and apparently nobody in the crowd saw his face.  
Eventually he started acting as though he would strike Gintoki, and Gintoki began to play slower.  
Shinpachi lowered himself into the bag slowly, and the crowd began to clap.

All I could do was stare at the scene oddly. My nose crinkled and my brow furrowed.  
Was this some kind of a joke?  
They couldn't possibly be serious about this, but Kagura was still encouraging the crowd to give her more tips.

I couldn't help but feel angered by this. I was sitting on the street corner wearing a freaking pirate disguise playing the flute for a fake Shinpachi-snake; I had a right to be irritated.  
instead of voicing my opinion, I remained beside Gintoki until he announced it was time to go.

We returned to his house, and he gave me a small portion of the money, telling me not to spend it all in one place.  
I scowled once more before starting towards the door.  
"Oi, don't you want me to call Oogushi-Kun for a ride."  
Turning to face Gintoki I shook my head.  
"No, I have somewhere to be... But later I have a job for you... We can talk in the near future, but right now I have work to do..."  
With that I left. Instead of returning to the Senshingumi barracks, I headed towards the industrial area. Takasugi would definitely have a job for me.

* * *

"Rein, what brings you here?" The man gazed down at me smirking.  
"Takasugi-Sama, I have come to request a job." I bowed my head before peering up at him.  
His grin grew wider, and I saw something spark in his cruel eye.  
It was as though he had an idea, and it was obvious that I would not like it.  
"There's a child that has been sneaking in here... I think that he's been stealing some important things. You should take care of him for me, I'll pay you well."  
He waved his hand at me, signaling for me to stand.  
I did as instructed, yet shook my head.

"Sir, I've told you I don't kill children... They could grow to be important people."  
"Are you getting soft on me?" He never shifted his gaze from mine, and I dropped my head.  
"No sir, I just-"  
"Isn't it inappropriate for you to turn down such a good job?" He interrupted me, and I peered away from him.  
Why was he pushing this so hard? It wasn't like him to offer such a job to me, and I didn't know how to respond.  
"Hurry up, do it." His eye seemed to pierce me, and I shook my head.

"I refuse to do such a thing..."

"Are you truly going to refuse such a job Rein? Tell me; do you think it is wise to cross me?"  
Takasugi took a step towards me, placing a finger under my chin.  
His grin turned into a malicious smile, and I glared up at him.  
"What do you intend to do with this child?" Knowing how ruthless he was, I knew I couldn't just turn away. He would just hire somebody else, and it would only be worse.

"Death, of course. He can't get away with what he has done." Takasugi leered down at me, and I nodded.  
"Though I have always been against harming children, your wish is my command, sir."  
This seemed to satisfy him, and his expression never changed. He turned away gazing at me over his shoulder.  
"Your loyalty astounds me at times, maybe I'll consider giving you somewhat of a raise."  
He rubbed his chin as he spoke before starting away.

Now, to find that child.


	11. Come With Me

The hallway was dark as I ran through the building. I had to find the child, before Takasugi.  
I had no clue where to search, but I tried my best to think as a kid would.  
_'If I was in a big, dark, scary building I would hide. Where would be the best place to hide?'_

Opening a door I found nothing but an empty room, I moved to the next room, yet only found the same thing.  
The third room I entered had a large generator inside of it. The generator shifted on, and I heard a tiny gasp.  
"Hey, I heard you... Are you in here?" Keeping my voice low I walked toward the blackness ahead of me.  
I received no response, but still pushed forward.  
"Child, come out, I'm not here to hurt you; I'm here to help."  
For a moment I heard nothing but the sound of the machinery, but soon a small boy stepped out from the shadows.  
His head was down, and he slouched slightly.  
"Are you okay?"  
He nodded , and I walked to his side.  
"Where are your parents?" Trying to understand his situation I continued to question him.  
He shrugged before peering up at me.  
"My mommy said my daddy needed to sleep for a really long time. They made him a bed in the ground.  
Mommy is sleeping beside him too. She had a bad cough..." His copper eyes met mine, and for a second metal seemed to form a bond.  
He was an orphan, and I shared his pain.

"Little boy, I was sent here to make you sleep too. But I don't want to. Do as I say, and you can stay awake okay?"  
He nodded, and for a moment I considered what I should do.  
Lifting my sleeve, I took my dagger to my own flesh. The boy watched me wide eyed, as I sliced my skin.  
"Stay quiet, and don't move... I know what I'm doing okay?"  
He nodded, and remained still as I wiped my blood on his face.  
I allowed it to drip on his clothes to create the image of a stab wound.  
I covered him in as much blood as I could, to make it realistic.  
Next I scooped him into my arms. Holding him firmly against myself, I started towards the door.

"Do not speak. Breath as slowly and silently as possible. Do not move."  
I place a hand over the boy's chocolate hair and he gazed up at me once again nodding.  
As I moved back down the hallway, I was stopped by Kawakami Bansai.  
"You found him?"  
"Yes... He put up a rather good fight for a kid. I only have a dagger today so I had to get close..."  
He nodded at me for a moment.  
"Good job. Takasugi-Sama will be relieved, I dare say."  
He offered me a smirk before leaving. I glanced down at the boy my mind racing.  
I knew he must hear my heart beating wildly within my chest.  
I hadn't even asked for his name, but I would have to take care of that later.

* * *

Upon finding Takasugi, I showed him the boy.  
"He's dead. I will take care of the body sir, do you suggest any place to dispose of him?"  
Takasugi glanced at the boy, a satisfied smirk curling his lips.  
"There is a lot about a mile away from here. If you dump it in the trash there nobody will find the body."  
"Yes sir." Nodding I turned away from him and started towards the door.  
"And Rein..."  
Feeling as though I had been caught, I peered at him over my shoulder, maintaining a calm expression.  
"Sir?"  
"Bring me his eye for your payment."  
A wide smirk spread across his lips, and I nodded.

When I had made it out of the building, I was careful not to speak to the boy, or look as though I was protective.  
Instead, I just walked in the direction Takasugi had pointed in, and prayed that the boy wouldn't move.  
When I reached the lot, I placed him down.  
"Stay here... I'll come back for you, okay?"  
"Yes Ma'am." He gazed up at me with his large doe eyes, and I patted his head.  
"Promise me that you wont move."  
He extended his pinky and I wrapped mine around it.  
Now- to find an eye.

* * *

The only place I could think to obtain one was a butcher shop.  
They had a great stock of meat, but when I asked for an eye I received odd stares.  
The butcher seemed rather hesitant to sell me one, but after a moment of convincing he obliged.  
When I returned to Takasugi I handed him the eye. I had cut it to look like a human's, it had also clouded over just as a normal one would.  
He seemed pleased, and handed me my payment.  
"Return when you need another job... Next time I'll have something better." The one eyed male spoke over his shoulder as he left.  
Knowing that the moment he retrieved the eyes, he flushed them down the toilet, I breathed a sigh of relief.  
My plan had worked well, and now I just had to get back to the boy.

"I'm back!" I called out to him, and he stuck his head form behind a metal trash can.  
The area around us was made of nothing but garbage. There was a steep hill surrounding us, but trash piled up to ground level.  
When I extended a hand towards the boy he hesitantly took it, and I scooped him into my arms.

"Would you like to come home with me?"  
Peering down at the boy I offered him a small smile.  
he stared up at me obviously surprised.  
"Can I?" His voice was small and I nodded in response.  
"I don't have much, and I'm not exactly a mother... But I'll take care of you..."

For once he grinned up at me, and the sight of his smile warmed my heart.  
"What is your name? How old are you?" I raised an eyebrow at him as I spoke.  
"Jun... I'm seven."  
I hoisted him on my hip, and wrapped my Yukata around him.  
"Nice to meet you Jun. My name is Rein."

He stared up at me as I ran a hand over his hair and started back to the Senshingumi.  
The walk was a long one, and i knew he wouldn't be able to keep up.  
We needed to get away from this area as quickly as possible.


	12. Where Did This Come From?

"This is it... We're here." I opened the door and let Jun down.  
The boy stared around the room, seemingly amazed.  
"It's so nice!" He excitedly walked around the small room.  
It was nothing more then a bedroom with a small kitchen to the side.  
There was a door leading to the bathroom, but the shower didn't work.  
"We'll have to share the bed... Is that okay?"  
He nodded to me, and I smiled.  
"Do you need anything?"  
"Can I eat?" He placed his arms behind his back, and I nodded.  
"Of course! Let me get you some food, I'll be right back."  
The boy lifted himself on the bed, and I grabbed my bag.  
"I should have a shirt in here if you want to change... It's a little big, but it should fit."  
As I walked towards him, there was a knock at the door.  
My heart skipped a beat as I spun around.  
Was I allowed to have him here? What if they told me he had to leave?  
_'I would have to go with him...'  
_

I ran to the door, and just before opening it I turned to Jun, placing a finger over my lips.  
He stared at me wide eyed as I slipped out of the door, careful not to open it too wide.  
"Rein! What the fuck! I told you to call me when you were done! It's practically night now! Where the hell did you go again?"  
I shifted my gaze, trying to think of an excuse.  
"I... I met up with... My boyfriend..." It was an obvious lie, and he raised an eyebrow a me.  
"Boyfriend?"  
"Yeah, I uh... We just broke up..."  
"Really? What was his name?" Crossing his arms, he glared at me and I shook my head.  
"I'd rather not talk about it. May I have a cigarette?"

Apparently the fact that I was being nice was even more alarming to him then my lie.  
He simply nodded, and extended his pack towards me. I took one, and he held a lighter to the edge of it.  
We remained in place, not speaking. Leaning against the door, I took long drag from the smoke.  
"Hijikata... Do you know anything about raising kids?"  
The question seemed to catch him off guard, and his face immediately flushed.  
"I- Kids? Why? What made you ask that?" Refusing to look at me, he turned away and ran a hand through his hair.  
"Never mind... Forget I said anything..." I pushed off of the door, straightening myself.  
"Erm, should you be smoking right now? Are you... Pregn-"  
"NO! I'm uh, gonna get some food... Do you want anything?"  
He shook his head, and I gave him a slight nod.  
"I'll see you in the morning." As I passed by him I held the cigarette to his lips.  
He hesitated for a moment before taking it, and I walked away.  
His eyes seemed to bore into my back, but I ignored the sensation, and quickly left for the store.

* * *

When I had finished shopping I made my way back.  
I didn't know what the kid liked so I got: rice balls, westernized sandwiches, candy and drinks.  
I figured we could share, and read a book or something.  
Also I picked up two packs of cigarettes, one for Hijikata and one for myself.  
I remembered his brand, and figured he'd be happy that I stopped bumming for a change.

Opening the door of my small house, I found Jun sleeping on the bed.  
"Oi... Jun-Chan... Wake up..." He stirred slightly, and I placed a hand on his shoulder.  
"I brought the food, you shouldn't sleep on an empty stomach."  
He opened his eyes weakly and eventually sat up.  
"Here, pick whatever you want... Do you want to read a book?"  
"Yeah... That sounds fun." His voice was barely audible and laced with sleep.  
I laid the bag on the bed, and walked over to my backpack.  
There weren't many books to choose from, so I grabbed a small book of poems.  
We sat on the bed, eating in silence. When we finished I motioned to the bathroom.  
"Let's get you cleaned up... We have warm water, but the shower doesn't work... Maybe I could..."  
My voice trailed off, as I tried to figure a way to get the water from the sink into the bath tub.

I had a tarp in my bag, and decided to try to rig it up to between the two.  
Grabbing a stone incense burner and a heavy decorative sword that had been on the wall, I walked into the bathroom.  
It took a few minutes to wash said items, but I pinned the tarp down in the tub, and tied it to the sink with the ribbon I used for my hair.  
After thirty minutes his bath was ready.

Taking a clean cloth from my bag, I washed him up after moving the things I had used to fill the tub.  
He seemed to be a quiet boy, and I knew I would enjoy his company.  
When we finished, I read him a few poems from the book.  
It didn't take long before he was once again sleepy.  
He had fallen into a deep slumber when I finished, and I laid the book on my nightstand.  
I hadn't really slept in a bed in a long time, but I laid down with the boy, and pulled him into my arms.

We no longer had to be alone.  
Two people who were once solitary had now met, and I felt a deep sense of relief.  
Jun was not very old, and I didn't have much, but I vowed to give him what I could.  
I pulled the cover over us, and allowed myself to drift off.

* * *

"Rein... Psst Rein..."  
Groaning lightly I moved a bit before opening my eyes.  
Hijikata stood over me, a curious expression on his face.  
"What's going on? Is this your son?"  
Immediately sitting up, I gazed down at Jun who was also waking up.  
"I- I- We-" Unable to think of an excuse this early in the morning my heart began to race.  
"Well... See- Last night-"  
Jun sat up shifting his gaze between me and Hijikata.  
He leaned back into me, and I stared down at him wide eyed.  
"Jun, this is Hijikata. He's a very nice man..."  
The boy nodded still leaning away from Hijikata.  
"Rein, where did this kid come from."  
I still didn't know what to tell him. It had to be odd to come in here one day, and just see me sleeping with a random child who wasn't here before.  
Jun saw that I couldn't say anything and he decided to speak for me.

"Momma saved me."  
"Momma?" Hijikata frowned peering at me.  
I didn't know what to say about the Momma thing either, but I just nodded.  
"Saved you from what?"  
"Bad men... She cut her arm..." Jun leaned forward and pointed to my forearm.  
I shifted my gaze, wishing that he wouldn't tell on me like he had.  
Hijikata would think i was some weak woman who took in every stray kid she found.  
But now that I thought about it, maybe I was? It was my first time coming across an orphan, but his case was special.

Hijikata peered at us for a moment, and I placed a hand on Jun's head.  
"Sweetie, do you need to use the bathroom? Or are you thirsty? The bag of food is over there." I pointed to the paper bag and he nodded.  
Soon he crawled out of the bed and walked to the bathroom.  
Hijikata sat down in front of me and motioned to my arm.  
"What happened?"

"I did it. I had to get him away from there. I cut myself to make him look dead... He- He has no parents..."  
He nodded and grabbed my arm.  
"What do you plan to do?"  
"Raise him. To be a good man. I know I can't stay here with him; I'll get our own place... just give me a little more time."  
He didn't respond, just stared at my new wound.  
"How is your rib?"  
"Better..."

Once again steel clashed with gun-metal blue, and Hijikata's expression softened.  
He leaned closer to me, and I felt my face flush ad his eyes started to close.  
Frozen in place, I didn't know what to do.  
'Is he going to kiss me? Is he really going to-'

The bathroom door opened, and he jumped back. As Jun walked to the bag on the small table Hijikata cleared his throat.  
"Uh, I should get the medical wrap... I'll umm- I'll be right back."  
He released my arm, and stood up walking towards the door.  
"Oi, Hijikata-San, there's something for you in that bag."  
He turned to look at me, and Jun climbed back into the bed.  
Without a word Hijikata opened the paper bag, and pulled one of the packs of cigarettes out out it.  
"Thanks..."  
He left the room, and I turned my attention to Jun who was eating an apple.  
"Do you like fruit, Jun-Chan?"  
The boy grinned up at me nodding.  
"Me too. Lets go out today, we can have some fun."  
His grin never faded and I laid back down.  
"I'm going to introduce you to some very important people today. That way you can go out an play whenever you feel like it.  
This is a safe place, all of the men here are police men."  
"Really? Can I be one too?"  
His excitement never ceased to make me smile and I placed a hand on his head.  
"Maybe one day, when you grow up."


	13. Mamma?

Without realizing it, I had dozed off. I awoke to the sound of Jun's voice.  
"He's back."  
Sitting up I found Hijikata standing by the door.  
I placed a hand on Jun's head.  
"Thank you, I didn't mean to fall asleep again."  
The boy smiled warmly, and I returned his grin.  
"So what do you want to do?"  
It was obvious that the boy needed affection, so I tried to be as motherly as possible.  
Wrapping my arms around him, I pulled Jun into my lap.  
The boy leaned against me, almost naturally.  
"Let's see what the man wants."  
I nodded in agreement.  
"Man, What do you want?"

Hijikata was obviously annoyed by us but he just sighed deeply before speaking.  
"I told Kondou." Hijikata motioned to the door and I tilted my head to the side.  
"Jun-Chan, there's a man I want you to meet..."  
Jun gazed up at Hijikata and I nodded.

He then climbed out of the bed and ran over to him.  
"His name is Kondou, he's right out here."  
Hijikata placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and led him outside.  
"Wait! Where are you taking him?" I put my feet on the ground prepared to follow behind the two.  
"Kondou is going to show him around while I change your bandages." Hijikata peered at me over his shoulder for a second before leaving.

Honestly, I didn't want ot let Jun out of my sight; but if I were to let him go with somebody, who better then the police?

When Hijikata returned he pulled a wrap of gauze out of his bag.  
We sat in silence while he stripped one of my bandages.  
I was far to embarrassed to say anything. I had brought a child home with me, and I hadn't given him any warning at all.  
"So... Where did you find him?"  
Hijikata was the first to break the silence, and I peered at him over my shoulder.  
"He was somewhere he shouldn't have been."  
He raised an eyebrow at me, but didn't push the question any further.  
"So you're intending to raise him on your own?"  
Instead of offering him an answer, I contemplated the question.  
"Turn around." His voice shattered my train of thought, and I raised an arm over my chest.  
I did as instructed, and Hijikata began to sterilize the wound.

"I'll give that boy what ever I can..." Minutes had passed, and my answer was late, but Hijikata didn't seem to mind.  
"If you need help-"  
"We'll be fine... I couldn't possibly ask anything of you." I cut him off, not wanting him to think he could just come in and start saving the day and being a father figure.

If Jun got attached to him, it would be more awkward then it already was.

"Rein, I had some thing I wanted to say..." He shifted his gaze, and I watched him curiously.  
I remained quiet, waiting for him to speak.  
"Well... I know that you're some sort of outlaw, but I can't help but-"  
Before he could finish the door slammed open, and Jun ran in holding a lizard in his hand.  
"Mamma! Look! Look what Cau-" He froze in place when he actually saw that I was practically naked, with Hijikata sitting on the bed beside me.  
We both held startled expressions; staring at the boy wide eyed.  
Nobody said anything, but after a moment Jun walked up to me.  
"Look. Kondou said it's a lizard!"  
I nodded, and used my free hand to ruffle his hair.  
"Good job!" I could offer no more words. My face had flushed an unnatural shade or red, and when I gazed at Hijikata his had done the same.

'_Why the hell is he blushing?!'_

Jun then showed the lizard to Hijikata, who offered him more encouraging words.  
When he finished displaying his catch, he left, not commenting on the scene at all.  
The moment the door closed I leaned to the side and plopped down on the bed.  
"Owww... I'm a horrible influence!"  
"What? You didn't do anything, but this probably didn't look right..." Hijikata peered down at me frowning.  
"I know I'm a horrible mother! I can't be a role model for a kid! All I can teach him to do is kill, and be half naked with older men!"  
I groaned the words, and Hijikata immediately looked alarmed.

"Oi! I'm not older! What are you talking about? Don't teach him any of that!"  
"It just comes naturally! I already taught him that it's okay to smear other people's blood all over yourself! How else will I ruin him?"  
Closing my eyes I tried to think of something I could do right.  
"You taught him what? You did what?!" Now he started to yell at me, but it didn't make anything better.  
"It wasn't on purpose! I was thinking as quickly as possible!"

Neither of us spoke for a moment, maybe Hijikata was trying to process all of the information I had started spewing,  
maybe he was searching for a way to encourage me.

"Oi..." He nudged me, and I peered up at him.  
"You- Umm... You're slipping..." He pointed at my chest, and I immediately wrapped my free arm around it.  
"You didn't look did you?!" Unable to contain my embarrassment I glared at the man.  
"No! I didn't see anything!" He showed me his palms, and I shook my head.  
"Then how did you know it was happening?!" Now he frowned to himself, he had no excuse.

"Shut up, it's your fault. Get up and let me finish wrapping you up."  
Scowling I lifted myself up; being careful not to expose myself.  
I turned my back to him, and he proceeded to wrap the gauze around my torso.

"Rein, if you're going to take care of that child you can't live such a dangerous life... It would devastate him to lose another parent...  
Even if you get hurt... Could you imagine what it would be like for him to wait two weeks for you to wake up?"  
I hadn't even considered what he was saying, but I wasn't qualified for any other kind of work.  
"I- I'm not stupid! I know how to raise a child!"  
"Apparently not, you smeared blood on him." He noted and a deep sigh parted my lips.  
"I told you I had no other choice!"

He finished wrapping me up and shifted his attention to my arm.  
"Regardless, that's unsanitary..."  
"Would you rather him be unsanitary, or murdered?!" Unable to contain myself I yelled the words at him. He stared at me wide eyed.

"Listen. I know you helped him, but if you don't pull it together, you can't raise him...  
If you don't stop killing and almost getting yourself killed; you can't raise him."

Shocked I stared at him. I had no idea how to respond.

"He is not a pet... You can't treat him like one. I've seen you with him, and you seem happy, but if you don't stop endangering yourself, he won't be..."  
He roughly wrapped my arm and rose to his feet.

"And stop fucking yelling at me." Not offering any more words he walked to the door.  
I watched as he pulled a cigarette from his coat, and raised his lighter to it.  
He sighed deeply before pulling the door open, and slamming it shut behind himself.

* * *

**Here's another great fanfiction. If you like Gintama, and general awesomeness mixed with romance read this.**  
**It's by Noniebee and called "Reuniting With The Lost" (8747858). It's a really good story, you'll be hooked after the first chapter. :) **


	14. Bath House Fun

"Jun-Chan, let's go to this one!" I held the boy's hand firmly in mine, and we walked down the street shopping for clothes.  
He only had one pair at home, so I would take the money that I had saved to him a few new outfits.  
That way he could feel better about himself, and look nice as well.

We had already bought three outfits; all for a pretty good price. Now we moved into another store.

"Momma, look at that one! Isn't it cool? Can I have it?"  
He immediately pointed at one of the outfits on a mannequin. We walked over to it, studying the robe.  
It was a nice cool blue Yukata.  
It could even be considered gun metal blue, like Hijikata's eyes.

_'Why the hell am I thinking something like that?'_

"Look, this one matches it. I bet one would fit you... We could have the same one!"  
Watching the excited boy I found myself unable to say no.  
Offering him a slight wave, I pulled one of the robes off of the shelf.  
"Go try this on... I'll do the same." He nodded to me, and we walked to the dressing room together after I grabbed one in my size.

Moments later we both stood in front of the mirror.  
"You look very handsome Jun-Chan." Smiling I ruffled his hair.  
"We should get them... Can we?" I nodded to him and we returned to the rooms to change back into our regular clothes.

After paying for the outfits we walked around some more, not doing much of anything.  
We talking, and enjoyed one an other's company.  
I bought him a balloon, and he stared at it as if it was the most amazing thing he had ever seen.  
"I want to put the yukata on! Can I?" He peered up at me and I thought for a moment.  
"Let's take a bath first... We should get swim suits."  
Smiling I lead him into another store and soon we had matching swim wear.  
Just as we rounded a corner, my eyes settled on a very familiar man.

_'Damn it, not him again!'_

I tried to duck away, but Jun betrayed me.  
"Look! It's Hijikata-San!" He started running towards the man before I could object.  
I followed behind him as quickly as possible, thankful that Hijikata hadn't been across the road or on top of a mountain.  
God forbid Hijikata be sitting on the back of a moving semi.

Jun ran up to him and immediately threw his arms around the man.  
Hijikata looked just as stunned as me. He stared down at the boy wide eyed, and I noticed his clothes were different.  
He wasn't wearing his Senshingumi uniform, he donned a blue yukata instead.  
"Mamma can he come with us?"  
I stared down at the boy in shock.  
_'Please, no... Why is this happening?'_

"Of couse he can, but I think he's busy... He probably doesn't have a bathing suit either."  
I reached down for his hand, but he clutched onto Hijikata who was now staring at me oddly.  
"Oh... Okay." Jun dropped his head, and I felt guilt twist my heart.

_'Damn it... Now I know what puppy dog eyes are...'_

"Erm- Hijikata... -San... Do you want to come to the public bath with us?"  
I glared at him, and spoke through clenched teeth, hoping that this would discourage the man.  
He returned my expression, and tossed his cigarette butt to the ground.  
"Sure."

_'DAMN IT!'_

Sighing loudly I tilted my head to the side still speaking through clenched teeth.  
"Great!" My tone was sarcastic, but he paid me no attention. Instead he picked Jun up,and placed the boy around his shoulders.  
"You two went shopping?" He asked the boy, and Jun nodded excitedly.  
"Yeah, Mamma bought me new clothes."

I gazed up at Jun, and when I lowered my eyes, I saw Hijikata smirking at me.  
"It sounds like you two had fun!"

I reached up and took the bags from Jun.  
Hijikata held his hand out to take them, but I shook my head.  
"I have them."

* * *

When we arrived at the bath house Hijikata let Jun down, and rented a bathing suit.  
We all went into the changing room, and I let the boys change together. I finished before them and started to wash off.  
Soon Hijikata and Jun joined me, and I remained silent while the two men sprayed each other with cold water and laughed together.

Standing up I walked behind them.  
"I'll be in the bath, Jun-Chan." Offering him a smile I rustled his hair, and started away.  
Knowing that as long as Jun was with Hijikata he would be alright, I slipped into the warm water.  
Surprisingly there was nobody else in the bath house and I leaned back, allowing myself to relax.

My relaxation was short lived when I heard a bunch of loud giggles coming my way.  
Before I knew what was happening, there were Two loud splashes, and suddenly hands on my shoulder.  
"I got here first, so I guess that means I get to kiss her." Hijikata grinned evilly at Jun, who returned his expression.  
"No, That didn't count, your legs are longer. If I was your size, I would have been here first."

I shifted my gaze between the two wondering what the hell they were doing.  
"Let's have a do over." Hijikata offered.  
"Lets." Jun nodded in agreement, and soon the two were rushing back to the changing room.  
This process repeated about three times before I decided to 'fix them'.  
The moment they got out of the bath, I ducked underwater, and swam to the side closest to where they were.

They would come out and jump in without looking.  
Both of them would swim to the opposite side of the pool, not noticing that I was gone until it was too late.  
I lifted my head above the water of the round bath, and took a deep breath before plunging back down and waiting for them to come.

I waited.  
And waited...  
And even waited some more, but there was no sign of the boys.  
Unable to hold my breath any longer, I shot above the surface of the water gasping for air.  
_'Where the hell did they go?'_

Just as I was about to give up waiting I heard them approaching and quickly ducked under the water again.  
Just as planned they splashed in, and I lifted myself to the surface to see them.  
They swam to where I was before, then stared around the pool with blank expressions.  
"There she is!" Jun called out, and they both charged at me.  
_'They're not giving up!'_

I ran through the water as fast as possible dodging Jun's tiny hands.  
Just as I thought I had gotten away, a pair of solid arms wrapped around my waist, and I found myself unable to escape.  
My rib ached lightly but ignoring the pain, I used the water to my advantage.  
I slipped through Hijikata's arms, and started paddling away as quickly as possible.  
A firm hand clasped around my ankle and a small boy grabbed my torso.

"Oww! Ah! Cut it out you two!" They both began to laugh at me, and before I knew what I was doing I had joined in.  
I turned to face them, sitting on the underwater rim around the bath.

Hijikata sat beside me, and Jun climbed between our laps sitting on both of us.  
"You two are fun!" He flashed us both a smile, and I gazed up at Hijikata, who was returning the boy's grin.

When we were finished Jun an I slipped into our matching yukatas.  
Hijikata returned his bathing suit, and we all met up in the lobby.  
"Mamma, look we all match!"  
I hated to admit it, but we did.  
Hijikata stared at me oddly when he saw me.  
It was almost a look of shock, and I didn't quite understand why.  
Jun walked up to him, and Hijikata placed the boy on his shoulders again.  
I wondered if it hurt; the boy was seven so it wasn't like he was light, but Hijikata didn't seem to mind.  
As we were leaving the lady behind the desk called out to us.

"It's so nice to see parents spending time with their children.  
You two must be a very happy couple!" She grinned at us and I felt my face flush.  
"N-"  
"Yes, we're very proud of our son." Hijikata interrupted, glancing at me.  
Without giving me time to respond he grabbed my hand and pulled me from the bath house.

I couldn't help but wonder why on earth he had said that, but Jun seemed to be happy so I let it go.  
We walked around until Jun pointed to a small food stand. Hijikata let him down and the boy pointed at a sweet he wanted.  
"Three melon pan please." Hijikata walked to the counter and moments later he turned to Jun and handed him one.  
He then turned and held one to me.  
I hesitated for a moment, before taking it.  
"How much do I owe you?" I asked after taking a small bite.  
"Nothing stupid." He spoke in a harsh tone, but still smiled.

Unable to understand why he was being so kind, I averted my gaze.  
"Thanks..."

When Jun finished eating, he grabbed both of our hands.  
Hijikata took some of our bags from me, and I found myself speechless.  
I hadn't wanted him to come with us, but for some reason I was happy he had.


	15. Daddy Doesn't Want You

The day was over, and Hijikata walked me and Jun to the building Kondou let us stay in.  
"Jun-Chan, you should thank him for spending time with us today..." Peering down at the kid I was met with a small smile.  
"Okay, Thank you Mister!" He wrapped his arms around Hijikata's legs, and the man still seemed surprised by the kids actions.  
After a moment Jun ran inside, and Hijikata and I stared at each other until we were alone.

He didn't speak, and I averted my gaze deciding to break the silence.  
"Um, Thanks. You seem to be good with kids... He had a lot of fun with you today..."  
He nodded, and I pulled a cigarette out of a small wrist pouch.  
"I don't smoke around him." I offered, and he nodded in response.  
"It's probably best."

We remained quiet staring at the dark sky. Few stars were visible; due to the Amanto ships.  
"Oi, so do you know what you'll do? I know you want to keep him, but-"  
"He can't be alone again." A defensive tone crept into my voice and he shifted his gaze.  
"What if he has family? At least let me check... Grandparents, older siblings... Even an aunt or uncle... He should be with people who know him-"  
"I know him! His name is Jun. He's seven years old, and likes fruit!" Hijikata rolled his eyes at me, and I crossed my arms.

"When is his birthday? What's his favorite color? What does he like to do?"  
Clenching my teeth, I peered at the ground. I didn't know any of those things...

"At least let me look in to it... He could be a missing child." He took my cigarette and started away from me.

It wasn't the first time, but now more then ever I had a strong urge to sneak up behind him and rid myself of the nuisance.  
He was trying to take Jun away, and I couldn't let that happen.  
_'This must be what if feels like when you're a bad parent and the government comes knocking on your door, the only problem is; I live with them...'_

After taking a few minutes to calm myself I entered the house. Jun was already laying in bed, asleep.  
The sight of the boy made my heart drop.  
Though I knew I shouldn't, I hoped that he had no family.  
Assuming the same position from the night before I crawled into bed and ventured to dream land behind the boy.

* * *

"Momma, dad's back."  
_'Dad?'  
_Shaking my head I leaned up, trying to make sense of what the boy was saying.  
"What?"  
Jun pointed to Hijikata who was standing at the door looking just as surprised as me.  
"D-Dad?" I placed a hand to my head terribly confused.  
_'Does this boy need a family that badly? He just calls the first person he sees his parent?'_

Hijikata cleared his throat looking just as surprised as me.  
"Good morning Jun-Chan." He offered the boy a small smile, and Jun jumped out of the bed.  
He ran straight to Hijikata and wrapped his arms around him.  
Hijikata patted his head in response, then knelt down to the boys level.  
"Uncle Kondou has something to give you, go see what it is."  
The boy nodded excitedly and without a word ran from the room.  
I watched the whole scene, frowning. I had no idea what to think of this,  
so I just shook my head trying to rid myself of the sleep that still clouded my mind.  
"I'm here to change your bandages... And _talk_." The way he said talk made me uneasy, and I stared at him wide eyed.  
"What?" I already knew what he was going to say.

He didn't offer me any more details, just hurried to re-wrap me with fresh gauze.  
"Why did he call me daddy?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. I didn't teach him that shit." Shrugging I raised my arm over my chest. When he finished, I turned to face him.

"What did you need to talk about? What is it?" I couldn't hide the worry that had crept over me.  
My brow furrowed and he averted his gaze.

"Rein... Jun has an aunt who is taking care of his brother... We should take him to her."  
It took a moment for the words to sink in. My heart began to race, and I shook my head.  
"No... No, I said I would take care of him..."  
He placed a hand on me knee; probably to offer comfort.  
"He's been missing for a few months now... People had started to give up on finding him."  
I couldn't stop shaking my head.  
I had tried so hard to be a good caretaker; mother even, and now he was really going to take Jun.

"I-I... You can't-"  
"It's for the best." He cut me off and I felt my eyes begin to burn.  
Once again, I felt anger begin to consume me. He kept pushing the subject; he had been ever since he first met Jun.  
He couldn't just leave us alone, and I narrowed me eyes at him.

"I won't let you take him..."  
"Then you're a kidnapper?" He raised an eyebrow at me, and I tightened my jaw.  
Without thinking about it I smacked him. He stared at me wide eyed before scowling.  
"You can't just hit me because I'm trying to help the kid! I-"  
I slapped him again, wishing I was near my boots. If I was I might have stabbed him, but since I wasn't...  
"Rein, what the fu-" Slapping him a third time (It was all I could think to do) I was surprised when he grabbed my wrists.

"Cut it out!"  
"NO!" I hissed, struggling against him. Freeing myself, I shoved him back.  
He lunged forward and wrapped his arms around mine in an attempt to restrain me.  
Pulling away, I lost my balance. The covers slipped and we rolled onto the floor.  
Throwing our weight to the side, I landed on top of him; managing to break free.  
I continued to hit him, and he blocked me.  
"It's not like I'm on drugs! I've been taking care of him! He's much happier now!"  
Noticing my boots, I reached over and pulled my dagger out.  
When he realized what I was doing he tightly gripped my wrist, and pinned me down.

"You're a murderer! You can't raise a child the way you are! LOOK AT YOURSELF!"  
He screamed the words in my face, and I immediately went limp.  
I had no more fight left in me, and just stared up at him with a distant look in my eyes.

Seeing that I had given up he rose to his feet, and walked to the door.  
"Attacking me for trying to help the kid? That says a lot about you..." He left, and I remained on the floor for what felt like ages.  
I didn't know what to do, or how to react.


	16. Bitter farewells

When Jun returned to the room he told me that Kondou had explained the situation to him.  
I was relieved to not have to tell him myself, but it hurt to know he would be leaving.  
We folded his clothes up, and I carried them to Hijikata's car.

The ride to Jun's aunt's house was deathly silent.  
The only voice that could be heard was Jun's whenever he saw something he thought was cool, or spoke to one of us.  
Hijikata replied normally, but I found myself unable to speak the way I usually would.  
_'Why am I so attached to this boy?'_

Maybe it was because I felt we were similar in a way.  
Maybe it was because I risked my life for him, or maybe, just maybe it was because we both liked fruit.

"This is it." Hijikata's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I nodded.  
After letting Jun out of the back seat we walked to the door.  
It took the woman a moment to answer but when she did she immediately wrapped her arms around the boy and started crying.

She looked like a jolly woman; her face was plump, and she her cheeks were rosy.  
Her hair was pulled into a tight bun and Jun turned to me.  
"Mamma, this is Auntie." He tugged on my robe as he spoke, and I nodded.  
"Nice to meet you!" The woman exclaimed and I muttered a response.  
"Likewise."

Hijikata glared at me, but I ignored his expression and followed the woman and Jun inside.  
It was a nice place, and his brother seemed happy.  
The boys ran off to play, and Hijikata and I sat at a small table with the aunt.  
"Thank you two for returning him! I had no idea where he went.  
I turned around for one second and he disappeared!  
I was hysterical! But now I have my little Junie back.  
It's been hard on the boy, you know; his parents passed away only a few months ago."

Hijikata and I nodded. The woman continued to chatter, and I grew even more uneasy.  
She had a nice house, a hard working husband, and loved kids.  
Apparently she hadn't been able to have any, so she was thankful to have Jun and his older brother.  
She paid us for finding him, and we split the money, but that wasn't what I wanted.  
I had spent my money on Jun for a reason; because I wanted to, he needed it.  
The aunt spoke for over an hour, and occasionally Jun would run up to me, and hug me, or Hijikata; still calling us Mom and Dad.  
When he left I was unable to take any more. My heart had grown heavy, and I rose to my feet.

"You sound nice and all, but I must warn you... If I find him again...  
If i even see him crying it will be your head... Do not doubt it, or wonder if I speak the truth.  
Know that if I hear or see anything that is not acceptable; it's coming..."  
I knew that I shouldn't be speaking to the woman in this manner, but I couldn't help myself. It was too stressful.  
Hijikata rose to his feet, wide eyed.  
"You can't just say that to the woman!"  
"I did." I crossed my arms and stormed to the door.  
I didn't want to say bye to Jun; It would be too painful.  
Instead I left. Hijikata would get on my nerves, or nag me to death.

Not waiting for him, I walked down the street, and to the Senshingumi barracks. He still hadn't returned by the time I got there.  
I went straight to his room and took my sword back.  
Power immediately surged through me, and I once again felt complete.  
Except for the space in my heart that Jun had filled.  
There was still a gaping wound there; that goes without even needing to mention it.  
I stormed past everybody in the building and ignored Sougo's snide remark of the day.  
I just wanted to leave. When I reached my room, I shoved everything I owned into my bag ignoring the pillow on the bed.  
I didn't need it before, so I wouldn't need it now.

* * *

Without a word or any hint at what I was doing I left. My plan was to return to where I had been all along.  
Work was closer, and I wouldn't have to deal with this world.

The first place I went was to Takasugi's warehouse. Kawakami greeted me and (as always) told Takasugi of my arrival.  
When he entered the room I knelt down as per usual.  
"Rein, you're back. Normally you don't take days off, I was starting to wonder if you were feeling remorse over that child."  
He smirk down at me and I shook my head.  
"Negative, sir. I do not feel remorse for doing what is right."  
He nodded slowly, seemingly pleased with my response.  
"You may stand."  
I did as instructed, and he circled around me.  
"You're here for another job? Or... Did you come to speak to me?" He flashed me an amused grin and I stared at him blankly.  
"I came for a job, but would not object to a conversation; if that is what you desire."

Chuckling he stopped in front of me.  
"Follow me." He motioned towards the door he had come from and I obliged.

He lead me to a secluded room, and we sat across from each other. Neither of us spoke, and soon a woman with blond hair brought us tea.  
She glared at me and I peered at her straight faced.  
Her name was Kijima Matako.  
As long as I could remember she was obviously in love with Takasugi, but he paid her no mind.

"Rein, lately you seem to be... Tense. Explain yourself." He peered up at me still holding his amused expression.  
"Forgive me sir, I had a close call. I assure you it won't interfere with my job."  
He nodded, raising his tea to his lips.  
Noticing that I wasn't drinking mine he motioned to it.  
"Go ahead... Just as you have guessed- it's spiked. Vodka." I stared down into the translucent golden liquid.  
He chuckled and grabbed my cup, taking a sip.  
"See? Smart girl..."

After seeing his tasting I decided it would be safe. I lifted the cup to my lips and once again silence surrounded us.  
"This is your job..." I peered up at him, and he slid a folder across the desk.  
The file inside had four pictures in it. All of them were men in their late twenties or so.  
"They're coming by in an hour or so. Take them out- here. I'd ike to watch."  
I nodded and placed my cup back on the small saucer it was served on.

"No questions..? Good.." He stood up and made his way to the door.  
"I'll tell you when they arrive."

I remained in the room thinking about my day. If I had to pick a single word to describe it, it would be: Frustration.  
And now I would have my release.  
The room was plain, there was nothing but the wooden table and chairs. The walls were white and I patiently awaited his word.  
Kawakami walked into the room and I turned to face him.

"Something is wrong, I dare say."  
I raised an eyebrow at him and he walked to the chair opposite of me, but didn't sit down.

"Is it the child you saved?"  
Retaining my calm composure I spoke.  
"What are you talking about?"  
"You can't fool me; His song wasn't over. You made the right choice, I dare say."  
Shifting my gaze I insisted that I didn't know what he was talking about. It was obvious that he knew, but I wouldn't reveal myself.

"You've got a good heart; but your song is apathetic. Grunge, I dare say... If you ever wanted to add a little metal, or screamo..."  
He leaned over the table, inching dangerously close to my lips.  
"We could make a good tune..."  
"I- I'll keep that in mind..." I didn't know what else to say and he smirked in response.

He started away from me, and I called out behind him.  
"How do you even hear me?"  
He peered at me over his shoulder shrugging.  
"I don't."

If that wasn't confusing I don't know what is.


	17. Darts and Kittens

Takasugi walked into the room I was sitting in.  
"They're here."  
I nodded to him, and he led me from the room.  
When I saw the men, I slipped my Yukata off.  
_'This is it... This is my release...'_

Without hesitation, I pulled my sword out.  
"Takasugi what is this? What have you set up?" One of the men called to him, and he grinned maliciously.  
"You stole from me; now pay the price."  
The men pulled swords from their sides, and I lunged at the one who was closest to me. Before his friends could reach us, my blade was in his neck.  
When I pulled away blood washed over me, and I moved to the next man.

I am not the most skilled fighter in the world, but many people become sloppy with their technique.  
That is their downfall, and my opening.  
Seeing another opening I removed a leg, and focused on the man to my left.  
Blood had started to pool on the cool metallic floors of the warehouse, and slipped into the round metal grating on the floor.  
Who knew what was down there? But that was not my concern.  
It only took about ten minutes for me to finish the men and confirm the kill. I stood in the middle of them, panting.

I was completely covered in crimson, and Takasugi started to laugh.  
"Well done, knight." I gazed at him over my shoulder.  
He stood at the top of a metal staircase, clapping slowly.  
Eventually he started towards me. Kawakami was watching as well, and he offered me a smirk.  
He had been standing beside Takasugi and leaned over the rail.

When Takasugi reached my side, he leaned over me and licked a line of blood off of my neck. I immediately back away from him, wide eyed.  
"What the hell are you doing?" Still out of breath, my words were spoken between pants and he snickered.  
"Offering you some encouragement... Keep it up."  
I gazed up at Kawakami who was now scowling.

Takasugi handed me my payment, and I took it gratefully.  
"You can shower off upstairs, I will provide new under garments."  
I nodded to him and started away. As I thought about it, I gazed at him over my shoulder.  
"Sir, i only need new pants... Also if you have some; Medical wrap."  
He nodded and I continued back to my Yukata.

When I finished my shower I cleaned my blade.  
Just as he had stated, Takasugi got me an extra pair of pants. Kawakami re-wrapped my injuries, an I thanked him.  
"I think your song got more hardcore."  
A small smile teased the corner of my lips.  
"It's always been that way." I answered and he smirked back at me.

I repeated this process for two weeks.  
Nobody bothered me, and I hadn't even seen that bastard Hijikata since I left.  
It was a relief, yet bothered me at the same time.  
One day Takasugi didn't have a job for me, so I decided to go to the only other place I knew to ask for one...

* * *

"Oi, Gintoki, Rein-San is here!" Shinpachi stood at the door, calling to the older man.  
Gintoki came to the door wearing an afro wig.  
"Oi, you need a job?"  
I nodded to him, and he invited me inside.  
After making me wait for about ten minutes he returned with a poncho, and a fake mustache.  
"Let's go." Was all he said to me and I did as instructed.

We arrived at a host cub twenty minutes later.  
He handed me some darts, and I stared at them curiously.  
"You know what to do." He offered me a thumbs up and walked away.  
Once again, I really REALLY had no clue what the hell to do with these things.  
So I figured I should throw them at people.  
Apparently that was wrong, and I got that point after the first few people walked up to me; pissed off.

But I didn't know what else I could possibly do. Peering around the room, I saw Gintoki holding a kitten.  
Now I was even more confused. I decided to just wait until he said it was time to go.

Eventually he came up to me holding two drinks.  
"What are you doing? Why aren't you working?" He raised an eyebrow at me and I shrugged.  
"I- uh, I did all that I could. People started to get mad."  
He nodded before extending one of the drinks towards me.  
"You have to ignore people sometimes. They don't know what's best for them."  
I took the drink and peered down at the darts oddly.

_'Hitting people with darts is good for them?'_

"Look, there's one." He pointed at an older man holding a cigarette.  
"What?" I asked but before he answered me he grabbed a dart, and threw it at the man.  
I stared wide eyed, and the dart knocked the man's hair off. It was a toupee.  
"See? People should learn to be themselves."  
I just nodded silently... How was I supposed to know to do that?

"Drinks are free tonight." I couldn't stop staring at the large wig and poncho.  
The poncho was bright and colorful. It had a jagged horizontal rainbow design on it.  
I decided not to comment on anything. An older woman came up to us about an hour later.  
We had been drinking in silence and she seemed frantic.  
"Did you find him? Did you find my smoochie?"  
Gintoki nodded and reached into his afro.  
He pulled the kitten from earlier out and the woman excitedly paid him and left.  
"We came to find a cat? That's all?" He nodded to me and I squinted my eyes.

_'Then what the hell was I doing?'_

* * *

When we started back to his house he was drunk. I felt a small buzz, but chose not to overdo it.

"Oi, you want me to call Oogushi-Kun for a ride?"  
I quickly shook my head.  
"I don't live there any more."  
I wanted to drop it at that, but he continued.  
"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot, he was looking for you. Where did you go?"  
I shrugged.  
"Somewhere else." He nodded and we continued down the street. Night had fallen, and he stumbled along the way.  
"I could walk you there." He offered but I shook my head again.  
"No thanks." He seemed to be a nice man, but I still couldn't trust him.  
"You look really familiar. Did we meet before?"  
I had to admit it was true. No matter how hard I tried to remember I had no clue who he could be.

"I don't know. Maybe." I answered.  
"Did you ever work at the casino?" He raised an eyebrow as he spoke, and I shook my head.  
"No."

When we arrived at his house He handed me a little bit of money and I started away.  
Before I could make it to the stairs he called out to me.  
"Oi, do you want to stay here for the night? Oogushi said you didn't have a place..."  
I turned to peer at him over my shoulder.  
It did sound nice, but it was a bad idea. Nobody could know where I stayed.  
"No... I have some where to be."  
He nodded to me, and after a slight pause continued inside.

I walked towards the industrial district peering into the shadows beside the sidewalk.  
Walking at night was not exactly safe, and I would not fall victim to some random thugs or Amanto.  
The street lights only lit the road, and portions of the sidewalk, so anytime there was an open field beside me I had to make sure it was safe.

I was so lost in thought I didn't pay attention to the car that rode past me.  
It pulled a U-turn in the middle of the street, and when I realized it was coming back towards me I ducked into the shadows.


	18. Not as good as expected

"Rein, I saw you. Come out..."  
It was Hijikata, and I had no intention of revealing myself.  
Until I realized that we were practically in the middle of nowhere. My blood boiled with resent, and I clutched my sword.  
The moment he turned his back to me I lept from the darkness and drew my blade.  
It was probably unexpected, but I didn't care; that was the best time to attack.

I brought the bade down on him, and he quickly dodged my attack, drawing his own sword.  
"Rein, you need to calm down... If you keep on somebody is going to get hurt."  
I didn't care, that was exactly what I wanted; somebody to be just as hurt as I was.

Ignoring him, I lunged forward; striking again. He blocked me, and pivoted out of the way.  
We continued to fight, yet he always seemed to dodge any attacks I threw at him.  
Eventually he must have gotten tired of me, and he sliced my arm open.

Blood splattered to the ground, and I glared at him hatefully.

He started towards me, knowing I couldn't use my sword like this. "I intended to talk, stupid. If you hadn't attacked me-"  
"Stay away... You just fucked up my job..." I growled the words, and he shook his head.  
"You did it. Now let me see your arm..."  
"Fuck you." I spat the words at him and he froze in place.

"You keep ruining things for yourself. Nobody else; just you."

I just stared at him, scowling.  
"Don't talk to me. I never tried to blame any body else. Except just now, when you intentionally cut my dominant arm..."  
He shook his head at me, and I pushed past him.  
"Just leave me alone."

When I returned to the warehouse district, I went straight to Takasugi's place. Kawakami greeted me, and I showed him my arm.  
"What happened?" He raised an eyebrow and led me inside.  
"Damn Senshingumi, that's what." He nodded, and started to tend to my wound.  
"You know you won't be able to fight right?"  
Peering up at him I scoffed.

"Of course I will, I have no other choice."  
"You have to let it heal... If you push it to far, you'll just make it worse I dare say."  
He sterilized the gash before pushing a needle into my skin.  
Unable to contain myself I grunted with pain.  
"Aghh... That really fucking hurts, just hurry up..."  
He nodded, smirking at me.  
"Where are you staying tonight?"  
I frowned at his question and shrugged.  
"I was thinking about the abandoned train tunnel."  
I knew I could trust Kawakami.  
We had known each other for a while now, and I would normally come to him if I was injured.

It seemed like standard procedure in the past, but since Hijikata had been doing it, it was a bit awkward.  
"The train tunnel? That's pretty dangerous..."  
We both turned to see Takasugi standing in the doorway.  
Kawakami immediately leaned away from me, and I wondered why.

"It's not bad... I can handle myself sir." Immediately hardening my voice my expression fell blank; it was easier to speak to him like that.  
"Rein, you could always stay here... My bed is big enough." Takasugi smirked and my eyes widened slightly.  
_'He's starting to act even more creepy now..'  
_I gazed up at Kawakami who had averted his gaze. A scowl had taken his face, and I grew even more confused.  
"Erm, no thank you sir... But that's very kind of you to offer... I just remembered, I have a job..."

An amused expression slipped across Takasugi, and he nodded slowly.  
"I see..." Was all he said in response.  
"Bansai, you were sewing her up?"  
Kawakami nodded, and Takasugi shifted his gaze back to me.  
"I'll finish..."

Nobody had the nerve to protest, and Kawakami moved to the side as Takasugi took my arm.  
"Rein, what did you do?" He shifted his gaze to me, and I focused on the wound.  
"A small fight, it was my fault; I was careless..." Takasugi nodded, and grabbed the needle.  
When he plunged it into my skin I cried out in pain. He had intentionally gone to far.  
He snickered at me, and I peered up at Kawakami who was still scowling.  
He stormed out of the room, and Takasugi continued to torture me.

"Rein, does it hurt?" The one eyed man gazed at me cruelly, and I shook my head.  
It was obvious that I was lying, and I chewed on my lower lip to keep from screaming.  
He only started to sew rougher, and I couldn't help but call out in agony.

My cries seemed to entertain him, and when he finished he caught my gaze.  
"Did you cauterize it first, or do we need to start over?"  
I stared at him wide eyed. It didn't make sense. Why was he trying to hurt me?

"I- We-"  
A chuckle interrupted my stammering, and he stood up.  
"What ever, get going."

Nodding, I quickly exited the room.  
Kawakami was standing in the hallway, but I just pushed past him and kept going; he was that man's minion after all.

* * *

I didn't stop until I made it to the abandoned tunnel.  
I was surrounded by total darkness, and when I lit my lighter I could see my breath.  
It was colder then expected and when I started to lay my tarp on the ground and make a bed out of my clothes I heard some thing strange.  
Normally I would just sit up, but since I had laid down in that bed at the Senshingumi house I found it hard to sleep like that.  
I had only been there for a few weeks, but it had more of an effect then expected.

The sound I heard was foot steps, and I froze in place.  
Nobody ever came down this tunnel, and it was too dark to see.  
I didn't want to use my lighter; that would give away my location.  
Now the sound of metal maybe against the concrete walls?  
Somebody was trying to scare me, and while I wasn't one to give up; I couldn't fight.  
Nor could I see, which is kind of important in a fight.  
Without waiting to find who it was I snatched my things and ran.

There was nowhere to run to, so I just kept going. I didn't stop until I was out of the tunnel.  
The only place I could think to go was back to Takasugi's. When I got there Bansai was standing out front.  
"What are you doing back?" I could see his eyebrow raise in the faint light of the moon.  
I asked to speak with Takasugi, but he told me the man had left.  
Apparently he went to the store, but I knew better then to believe that.

"Don't tell him I came... Or that you told me he was gone."  
He looked confused, but offered me a slight nod before I started away.

I decided to walk all night. It made more sense then going to sleep while I was defenseless.


	19. Shelter

I had walked for over an hour before realizing that I was near Gintoki's place.  
Swallowing my pride I decided to ask if I could stay with him.  
Nobody answered the door, and just as I was about to give up the man walked up the stairs.  
Apparently he had been in the restaurant below his house.

"Oi, stupid, what are you doing here?" He stared at me with a deadpan expression,  
and I averted my gaze  
As much as I hated asking for help, it was necessary to make an exception.  
"Well..." I hesitated for a moment before asking.  
He had already offered, and I had turned him down.  
Now it would look as if I couldn't survive on my own; I would look weak.

"I got hurt... and..." My voice trailed off, and I found myself unable to ask.  
I extended my arm towards him, and he held it in the light to see.  
"What the hell happened to you? This side of the stitches is all uneven too..." He studied Takasugi's work and shook his head.  
"First of all there's too many... Like you were just trying to hurt yourself or somethi-"  
"I didn't do it... I'm right handed; it would be impossible..." I interrupted, and he peered at me.  
"It needs to be redone..."  
Upon hearing his words my eyes widened.  
I was not in the mood to go through this again.  
"It's fine... Really. But I can't use my sword...  
I can't defend myself tonight... May I stay with you?  
Just for one night..." My voice was low, and he offered me a slight nod.

"Let me fix your arm though. It won't heal right stupid."  
He quickly walked past me and into the house.  
Gintoki didn't say anything but he left the door open for me,  
and I followed behind him.  
He still wore the wig from earlier, and I wondered if he even had hair.

The moment I walked into the door, I was met with a large dog sniffing my head.  
Not knowing how to react,  
or how it was possible for a dog to be taller then me while it was sitting down,  
I remained as still as possible.  
Gintoki walked into his room, leaving me with the beast.  
Just as I thought it would bite me, the girl known as Kagura came running towards us.  
"Eyebrow-San! What are you doing here- Aru?"

"Oh, well... Erm, I got locked out of my house..."  
She nodded and paced a finger to her chin.  
"Hmm, well I could break the door open for you."

Shaking my head I forced a tight smile, and walked over to the couch to sit.  
"Uh, that's not necessary, I'll just call a locksmith in the morning! I appreciate it though!"  
Kagura shrugged at me before wrapping her arms around the dog.  
"Suit yourself- Aru." Shifting her attention to the dog she climbed on it's back.  
"Sadaharu do you need to make a stinky?"  
I frowned at the thought of that dog making any form of smell, and the dog whined in response.  
Kagura pointed towards the door and the dog walked away with her.

Moments later Gintoki returned with a satin night cap and sleeping clothes on.  
"Let me see your arm..." He sat beside me, and gently grabbed my wrist.  
The man had brought a small box with him, and when he opened it, I saw an abundance of medical supplies.  
"You're still drunk... Should you be doing this?" I couldn't help but ask; alcohol was still on his breath.  
He flashed me an annoyed expression and grabbed a pair of small scissors.  
"Shut up."  
Scowling I looked away. How could he be nice and rude at the same time?  
That didn't make any sense.

When he cut the stitches and started to pull them out his eyes widened.  
"Why are they so deep? Are you trying to die or something?"  
Rolling my eyes I peered at the man.  
"I told you I didn't do it!"  
He didn't respond, just took some alcohol, and poured it over my arm.  
I was given no warning, so I yelped at the sensation, but he paid me no mind.  
His sewing was quick and precise. I hardly felt it at all and when he finished I thanked him.  
"You can sleep on the couch tonight... By the way, how did this happen? Hijikata is going to be mad when he hears about it."  
He rose to his feet as he spoke and I shook my head.  
"I doubt he will..."

Gintoki raised an eyebrow at me, but didn't ask any questions.

"Gin-San! Kagara-Chan is-!" There was a smashing sound outside of the door, and without warning Sadaharu ran into the house holding Shinpachi in his mouth. Kagura was still on his back, and she held her arm up into the air.  
"Good boy Sadaharu! Fetch!"

Gintoki and I just stared at the scene for a moment, until he started yelling.  
"What the hell ar you two doing!? Glasses! You didn't take your shoes off!"

The three of them started to yell back and forth and I just watched them.  
It didn't make any sense. Shinpachi was being used as a chew toy, and Kagura had apparently thrown him; telling Sadaharu to fetch.  
Gintoki wasn't concerned with any of this, he just walked to the door and slid it shut.  
Then he continued to talk about taking shoes off and ask Shinpachi if he had brought his strawberry milk back.

The boy was apparently in no condition to be carrying around bags of milk at the moment, but I decided not to chime in.

In the morning I left before anybody woke up.  
It seemed like a nice day, the sun hadn't risen yet and I readjusted my bag on my shoulder.  
As I was walking a van sped by me.  
It was obviously the Senshingumi, but they didn't seem to notice who I was.  
Grateful to not have been seen I walked to the nearest store.  
After buying some food I wondered what I should do for the day.  
My arm was sore, but it would probably still work properly.  
If I took some time out to train, I might still be able to fight.

I walked to the nearest abandoned lot I could find.  
The area was surrounded by old buildings, and a small slab of concrete remained in the middle of a patch of grass.

Taking out my sword, I swung it around a few times to get a feel for my limit.  
My grasp was weak, but I could still manage.  
My left arm seemed like a better option, yet it was unfamiliar with a blade.  
I practiced for hours, before sitting down and grabbing a piece of fruit from my bag.

The streets were filled with people and Amanto.  
I pushed my way through the crowd, and towards the industrial area.  
For some reason I was exhausted. The warehouse I used to call home seemed like a nice escape. When I arrive I walked up the familiar rusted stairs. Even the graffiti on the walls seemed to welcome me. Sitting in my usual spot against the concrete wall, I peered out of the unfinished frame of the building to the ground below.

Some people might refer to this as wreckage, but it was a comfortable place to live.  
Clutching my bag I crossed my arms, and leaned my sword on my shoulder. Almost immediately I felt sleep take me.


	20. Pets Don't Run

"OI! Hijikata-San, she's here!"  
Snapping awake, I saw Sougo standing about five meters always from me.  
Peering to the ground below I wasn't surprised to see Hijikata standing by his car.  
He didn't respond to Sougo, just started to walk into the building.  
Standing up, I took care not to agitate my wounds.  
A malicious grin curled Sougo's lips as I met his gaze.  
"We found you." Was all he said and I scowled at his statement.  
"What the hell do you mean 'found' me? Why were you even looking?"  
"Pets aren't supposed to run away." His grin only grew wider, and I started to wonder why he was looking at me with such an expression.  
It was obvious that he wasn't just going to talk.  
I gripped my sword, and he laughed at me.  
"Do you really want to try that with me? You'd never win..."  
I expected him to grab his sword, but he pulled a rocket launcher from god knows where.

Hijikata walked up the stairs behind him, and I glared at the man.  
"Rein. What are you doing here?" Hijikata peered at me with his usual dark expression.  
"What the hell do you mean 'what am I doing here'? I fucking live here! You knew that!"  
He shook his head.  
"No, I don't remember ever hearing something like that."

"Then why the hell did Okita-San just yell that I'm up here to you?!" My patience was wearing thin, and he shrugged.  
"It's not like I care." Was all he said, and I nodded.  
"Good. Then I'll be going..." I started towards the men, and Sougo watched me.  
Hijikata on the other hand just kept his hands in his uniform pockets, and stared at the concrete floor.  
When I passed him he followed after me down the stairs. He then turned towards me, grabbing my arm.  
"Oi... If you need a place, you should come back. It doesn't really matter though."  
I peered at him from the corner of my eyes. I knew what he was really trying to say.  
Though he acted as if he couldn't care less, he obviously wanted me to go back with them.

I shook my head.  
"I'll be-"  
My words were cut off by a loud explosion, and Hijikata shoved me out of the way.  
"Damn it Sougo! What the hell are you trying to do, kill us?!"  
"Opps." The sandy haired man replied, still grinning.  
When he shoved me, my back slammed against the wall, and the wind got knocked out of me.  
Hijikata turned to look at me, raising an eyebrow.  
"You okay?"  
"It probably would have been easier to get hit..." Grumbling the words, I lifted my bag onto my shoulders.  
"Rein, why don't you-"  
Another explosion interrupted him, and he once again threw me out of the way.  
This time I landed on the solid concrete floor.  
"WHAT THE FUCK SOUGO?!"  
"Hmm, Hijikata-San you're reflexes have gotten better..." Sougo sounded displeased,  
and we both stared up the staircase at him donning equal 'what the fuck are you trying to say' expressions.

Returning his attention to me Hijikata continued.  
"So Rein, like I was saying-"  
"Save it. As much as I enjoy being thrown around like a rag doll, and beaten I need to be going now...  
You better hope he kills you before I get up." As I lifted myself from the ground, the wound on my arm tightened,  
and a small amount of blood started to leak from the stitches.  
"Damn it Rein, stop being so annoying. I'm trying to help you." He walked over and lifted me to my feet.  
"Some help you are..." I muttered the words and showed him my arm.  
"Shoving women into walls and throwing them on the ground isn't acceptable in this sort of situation.  
Cutting them is never acceptable, unless you're a doctor."

"Hijikata-San you cut her?" Sougo walked down the stairs, seemingly interested.

"Well, it wasn't on purpose..." Hijikata shifted his gaze.  
"No it was an accident, his sword fell out of the sheath and landed in his hand." I rolled my eyes, and Sougo nodded.

"Oh, okay..." He smirked up at Hijikata evilly.

"Look, I have some where to be..." Not giving them any more time I started away.  
The only reason I would want to return to the Senshingumi would be to retrieve the weapons Hijikata had taken.  
I had no idea where they could be, but I would have to find them.  
Hijikata, and Sougo watched as I left. There would have to be an opening at some time. I would have to sneak in, and search.

They didn't try to stop me, and I heard Sougo's voice behind me.  
"Oi, Hijikata-San, I wonder what Kondou will say when he hears you cut her?"  
"Don't tell him that dumb ass!" Hijikata snapped the words at Sougo, who just chuckled in response.

When I was satisfied with the distance between us, I walked towards Takasugi's building.  
Just before I reached it, I heard a familiar voice.  
"Oi..."  
Turning to find the source, my gaze settled on a figure in an alley.  
"Kawakami! You surprised me. What is it?"  
"Come here..."

Eying the man oddly I decided to listen to his command. When I stood beside him, he smirked at me.  
"I thought it was you. I would recognize that tune anywhere, I dare say."  
Peering up at him I raised my eyebrow.  
"You couldn't tell it was me? It's broad daylight! Are those glasses that dark? How do you see at night?"  
"I don't." He responded in a low tone.

Squinting my eyes, I tried to make sense of his answer, but soon realized that it was impossible to understand.  
"So what do you want?" Shifting my attention back to the task at hand, I raised my eyebrow.  
"Were you coming for another job?"  
I nodded, still waiting.  
"Well, I have something in mind... It's easy, no fighting." He motioned to my arm.  
"You got it re-stitched... Good. Takasugi can be a sadist at times, I dare say. Who did it?"

"A friend. Another employer. So, what is this job?" Urging him to focus on the work I pulled a cigarette from my pack.

"It's quite simple, I dare say. You just need to sneak into a building down the road from here...  
You'll find a bag; it's navy blue, like my clothes... Bring that back to me."  
I nodded and started away from him.  
"And one more thing..."  
Turning to peer at him I was surprised when he took the cigarette from my hand.  
He tossed it to the ground and stomped it. Placing his hands in his pockets he spoke.  
"Smoking is bad for you, I dare say." He smirked at me, and I rolled my eyes.  
"I'll be back."

When I arrived at the building Kawakami had spoken of, I was surprised to find that he was right.  
Nobody appeared to be there, and it was easy to slip in and out unnoticed.  
I retrieved the bag, and returned to him. It had only taken about ten minutes all together.  
"Here..." Handing the bag to him I offered a small smirk.  
He returned the expression and slipped me my payment.  
"Good... It's all here..."  
He seemed pleased, and I watched as he pulled a couple different CDs out of the bag.  
Not surprising.

I started away from him, and a hand firmly clasped around my upper arm.  
"I won't be here today... I have something to do. Takasugi will be the only one in there..."  
He spoke with a harsh tone and I shrugged.  
"I want a job."  
He let me go, and nodded.  
"Be careful" was all he said, and I started away.

Upon entering the warehouse I wasn't surprised to find the room empty.  
I walked around searching for Takasugi. When I finally found him he was in the shower.  
After knocking against the door a harsh voice answered.  
"What the fuck do you want Matako? I told you to leave me be!"  
Slightly taken aback by his tone, I cracked the door.  
"Sir, it is Rein... I apologize for the interruption, I was just coming to tell you that I have come for a job. I will wait for you in the usual spot."  
Before I could shut the door, he beckoned me to enter.  
It was an odd request, but I obliged expecting him to talk about work.

"Close the door behind yourself..."  
The walls of the small room were black, yet the shower, and sink were white.  
Upon entering, I leaned against the wall beside the door, waiting for him to speak.  
Much to my surprise he turned the water off.  
The doors of the shower were a clouded glass, and I could see a blurred image of him.  
"Hand me the towel from the rack beside you."  
Nodding I grabbed the only towel I could see in the room, and held it to the glass door.  
Takasugi slid it open, and pulled the towel from my hands.  
Moments later he stepped out of the shower.  
He only wore the white towel around his waist and I averted my gaze.  
"So, you're here for another job?" He raised an eye brow at me and I continued staring at everything but him.  
"Yes sir."

"What's wrong Rein? Are you uncomfortable?"  
Peering up at him I was met with an amused smirk.  
Despite his semi-smile he still had a dark look in his eye.  
"No sir..." It was an obvious lie, but he didn't seem to care.  
Takasugi stepped towards me, pacing his hand on the wall over my shoulder.  
I scowled at him, raising an eyebrow.  
"It doesn't scare you to know that we're the only ones here right now..?"  
His smirk grew wider, and I met his gaze.  
"No." I was uncomfortable, but definitely not scared. If he tried anything I had a weapon; he wasn't so fortunate.  
"Don't look at me like that. It's unattractive." He stated rather blatantly.  
I attempted to change my expression, yet my scowl only intensified when he leaned closer to me.  
"You really aren't scared... I guess I'll have to try harder... You're fun."  
Just as I thought he might move away he snatched my arm up, studying the stitches.  
"You had it re-done... Couldn't take the pain?" I saw a spark in his eye but shrugged  
"It didn't hold up." Without giving him time to respond I moved away from him, and to the door.  
"I can see you don't have anything today sir. I'll return at a more appropriate time."  
He chuckled darkly at my statement.  
"Oh, I've a job that's perfect for you. But for now, I'll work harder at scaring you."

I didn't turn to face him as he spoke, instead I just exited the room, and the warehouse as quickly as possible.


	21. The Truth is the Color of a Cherry

Upon leaving the industrial area, the only thing I could think to do was attempt to retrieve my weapons.  
I had no clue where to look, as I had already searched everything I could see in Hijikata's room.  
Maybe they were buried deeper inside of his closet though?  
When I had seen my sword I hadn't checked anymore.  
It was my main focus at the time, but now I wanted the smaller things. Knives, knuckles, and stars.

After recalling the location of his room, I walked around the outside of the barracks, taking care to not be seen.  
I found his window, and peered through the glass.  
Hijikata was laying on the bed, his arms propped behind his head.  
It only took a moment for somebody to call him, and for him to leave.  
Seeing my chance I pulled at the window.  
It was stuck in place but when I placed the handle of my sword between the ridge of the window and the wall it popped open; much to my delight.

Climbing into the window was quite a task, but I managed.  
My arm was still inhibiting me from moving the way I normally would.  
I quickly strolled to the closet and slid it open.  
As I searched through his uniforms, and boxes, I took care to pay attention to the sounds outside of the door.  
Growing nervous I opted to lock it and resume searching.  
Footsteps approached the room, and I heard a hand land on the knob. I inhaled sharply at the sound.  
_'Not yet! Not yet, I haven't found anything!'_

"Oi! Toushi!" It was Kondou.  
"Sir?" And of course Hijikata.  
"Did you find Rein-San yet? I'm sure she'd love to hear about the deal I made!"

"Damn it Kondou, I keep telling you I did.  
Stop sending me after her! I told you I don't want to do it.  
I was nice like you said, and that shit didn't work! Anyway...  
Erm, she's upset about Jun-chan, She doesn't want to come back. Can't I just do my regular rounds again?!"

There was a pause and I pushed all of the boxes back in the position I had found them.  
I slid the door shut and made my way to the window. Hijikata muttered a thanks.  
"Well, I think she'll be okay. She's a strong woman." Kondou was the first to speak again.  
"Yeah... I knew I had to do the right thing, but I didn't expect her to get so upset. Really...  
It wasn't right for her to have to raise a child she didn't even know."  
Hijikata sighed loudly.

"If you see her again, tell her I found a nice apartment. I think she would like it, and it's for a good price too."  
Hijikata muttered a "Sure" In response, and the door knob started to turn.  
"It's locked!"

I couldn't help but listen in and I immediately felt a little guilty.  
As I lept from the window and slid it shut, I couldn't help but think I should apologize.  
But if there's one think I hate more then asking for help or saying 'thank you', It was admitting that I was wrong.  
The word 'sorry' was not a part of my vocabulary.  
And I didn't intend to make it one.

Instead, I made my way out of the walls of the Senshingumi, and away from the nagging voice in the back of my head.  
The only problem with that, is that the voice was in my head, I couldn't walk away from it.  
As I walked down the street, I saw a familiar face.  
"Tsunpo, let's get that one..."

It was Kawakami, walking with the purple haired pop star; Otsu.  
I never really liked her music, or pop, for that matter.  
When I saw him I couldn't tell if he had seen me, but they were walking straight towards me.  
After contemplating if I should run, or at least walk (very quickly) away, I decided to act as though I didn't see them.

As we passed each other Kawakami watched me, and stopped.  
"Rein." He tilted his head forward as a sort of greeting. I nodded back to him, but before I could start away Otsu spun around to face me.  
"Hi! You know Tsunpo? -Midgets eating tires!"  
"Eh?" I was thoroughly confused, and she stepped towards me.

"We should catch lunch together some time!  
I've been looking for a girl who I could just hang out with!  
You look pretty tough, it would be good for my image!- Smokey purple piss!"

She grabbed my hands and held them up, grinning so wide her eyes were closed.  
It was obvious that she was trying to be nice but she was too close, too loud, and too random.  
I do not like people who invade my personal space; especially the first time I meet them.  
Nothing freaks me out more than being able to count every pore on a person's face while they talk to me.

I peered up at Kawakami who was watching us with a blank expression, accompanied with a raised eyebrow.  
"I- Erm, yeah... Sure... Just ask uhh- Tsunpo here for my contact info." I returned his raised eyebrow.  
He knew I didn't have a phone, and that I intended to run the moment I had a chance.  
She seemed satisfied with my answer, and I flashed her an awkward smile.

"I must be going now, excuse me, Tsu-San." I knew her name already, she was famous after all.  
I bowed lightly before escaping her hands, and sickening cheerfulness.  
She seemed like a nice girl, but we were definitely not cut from the same cloth.  
Our cloth was so different it was probably from separate countries.  
She would be made of silk, but what would I be? Cotton? Nylon maybe?

Contemplating the question I strolled down the street wondering what I should do.  
'Lace... I like the sound of lace... It can be made from different materials, and it's filled with holes.'  
Not in the dirty way, but scar wise that sounded about right.  
I decide to go to the closest public bath.

* * *

The bath house was nicely decorated, and the scent of soap, and perfume hung in the air.  
Prices were reasonable as well, and I quickly paid the woman behind the counter.  
I walked into the woman side, and undressed. After showering off, I stepped into the warm bath, feeling my body relax almost instantaneously.  
After thirty minutes I felt myself starting to doze off, but my bliss was short lived.  
On the other side of the wall, I heard two men arguing.

_"Oi! What the hell are you doing here? Every where I go you always show up!" _It was definitely Hijikata_  
_"Ehh, If anything, you are the one following me. Every time I go somewhere your there too.  
It's annoying. This isn't healthy you know, you should really find something better to do then stalk me."  
That sounded like Gintoki, but I wasn't quite sure.  
_"Stalk you?! I was here first! You're the one stalking me, you natural permed freak!"_  
"Oi oi, leave my hair out of this..."

Hijikata was yelling, but Gintoki spoke in a nonchalant manner, as though he truly didn't care.

I felt as though I should be in this argument as well... I was here first, but maybe I should have gone to a different bathhouse.  
Making a mental not of that I continued to listen to the men.

_"What are you doing? Don't come over here!"  
_"Shut up. While you're here wash my back." That was definitely Gintoki.  
_"NO! Get away from me!"_

the words were followed by a fit of splashing, and soon a challenge started.

"No, my permed hair makes it possible for me to hold my breath longer then you."  
_"Didn't you say your hair had nothing to do with this?"_  
"My hair has everything to do with this."

They spoke in a lower tone now, and all I could make out was  
'Bet, mayo, and screwdriver.'  
It didn't seem to fit together properly, but I shrugged and shifted my attention back to soaking and enjoying the bath.  
The men were both still talking, and after a moment they fell silent. I let out a long of relief sigh

_'Those idiots can really ruin a nice bath... Why the hell would they show up while I'm here?' _

I had dozed off again, but was awoken by a loud splash followed by two gasps, and coughing.  
Slightly annoyed by the continuous splashing, I walked to the edge of the bath, using the steps to climb out.  
Water fell from my body, and I stretched.  
It was nice having the whole room to myself, but the wall between the men and woman's side was open at the very top,  
making it easy to hear everything the men were doing.  
Yawning, I walked to my locker, slipping on my Yukata.  
Realizing that I was out of gauze, I decided to see if they had any at the counter, though it would be odd if they did.

Walking quickly, I exited the small locker room, not realizing when the carpet turned to tile.  
just as I rounded the corner, I was met with the images of two men, wearing nothing but towels.  
There were glaring at each other. Gintoki was wearing a rubber bath cap.  
I was able to keep myself from bumping into them,  
but stopping so abruptly caused my feet to slip from under me; sending me crashing back onto the floor.  
My entire body had moved forward, leaving my head, and shoulders with nothing to keep them from slamming to the cool stone tile.  
Pain jolted through my body, and it felt as though all of the wind had been knocked out of me.  
Gintoki and Hijikata stared at me oddly, as I lifted myself into a sitting position cringing.

I rubbed the back of my head, squeezing my eyes shut as I did so.

_'Why the hell do I keep getting hurt!?'_

"Oi, Look what you did Mayo Freak." Gintoki motioned to me.  
"Me? I ought to arrest you now; I saw you hit her." Hijikata crossed his arms and spoke in a cool tone.  
"Hit her? If anybody hit her it was you!"

They yelled back an forth as I slowly stood up, my body adjusting to the pain.  
"Umm..." I started to speak but they paid me no mind, just continued to bicker with one another.  
"Hey..." I placed a hand on each of their shoulders, causing them to stop an look at me.  
my eyes darkened as I spoke.  
"You didn't see anything did you..?"

They didn't answer me, just continued to stare.  
"Did you?" My voice was more commanding now, as I was suddenly angered by the fact that they hadn't even helped me at all.

Each man looked opposite ways, a slight flush creeping to their cheeks.  
Unable to contain my embarrassment I began to emit a dark aura.  
One which could only be described as death.  
Both men backed away, not wanting to hear what I may say.  
"Erm... You shouldn't be embarrassed... Umm... It's natural." Hijikata attempted to calm me.

"Uh, yeah... Even the reddest of cherries will fall when you eat the ice cream beneath them." Gintoki chimed in.  
Hijikata stared at him wide eyed as he spoke.  
They had obviously gotten a good look at the cherry design of my underwear and I began to chew my lower lip.  
"Do not ever speak of this moment... Ever... I will kill you..." Venom dripped from the words I spoke,  
and the men stared at me, each raising an eyebrow.

"It's okay. They were nice cherries, very... Silky looking." Gintoki spoke up.  
My eyes widened, and I felt the urge to grab my sword; but it was in the locker room.  
"You idiot! Why wold you say that?! That's just going to piss her off!" Hijikata yelled at him.

I wasn't quite sure how to react.  
I wanted to explain that they weren't my normal underwear, that it was just a misunderstanding; I normally wear the plain kind.  
But I was sure that the explanation would fall on deaf ears, and be pointless to say as it was none of their business.  
Embarrassment had begun to consume me, and I felt a slight blush threaten to make an appearance.  
In situations like this, when there was nothing I could do, I always did the same thing.  
Seeing the two argue was quite humorous.  
One looking as if he hadn't a care in the world, and the other high strung, and overly expressive.  
Without warning, I began to laugh. It was more of a nervous chuckle, and my head still ached slightly, but I couldn't help it.  
The men watched me for a moment before Gintoki spoke.  
"See? She liked it."  
"She wasn't laughing at what you said!" Hijikata scowled as he responded.


	22. Hats Can be Perverted

_**Author's note: I edited the chapter. It felt like Rein had lost direction, so I had to add more fighting and ecchi-ness. :)**_  
_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

After our awkward moment, I finally reached the counter and the woman had some gauze I could use.  
My wounds had been healing well; faster then usual, and I was thankful.  
The men hadn't moved far when I returned and I approached them.  
It would be difficult to wrap myself up, but Hijikata was obviously not in the mood to help me.  
He was still talking to Gintoki and they seemed to be arguing but it wasn't as loud as before.

"Oi, could one of you wrap me up? I cant reach as far as before..." I held the gauze up and they eyed me with bored expressions.  
"Hmph, I've helped you enough." Hijikata responded, glaring at me.  
He seemed tired of me; probably due to my walking away every time he found me.  
I had no clue that it was Kondou sending him after me the whole time, but it did make more sense.  
Now he didn't have to be nice; so he wasn't.

"Fine, fine; I'll do it." Gintoki sighed as he took the wrap out of my hands.  
As we walked away I turned to Hijikata.  
"Nice to see you're back to your usual self." I offered him a slight smirk, and he eyed me for a second before looking away.  
It may seem odd to be nice to him now, but I wanted to apologize for being so upset.  
We had fought a lot though; repairing any hard feelings would be difficult. Not that I cared.

Gintoki and I walked into the men's locker room, and I pulled the top of my yukata down; taking care to cover myself.  
He didn't take long to start wrapping me, and though he was being proper about it I couldn't help but feel awkward.

"Thanks..." The words were but a whisper on my lips. Despite that fact he still heard me.  
"Mm'hmm"

I peered at him over my shoulder, and he nodded at me.  
Moments later Hijikata walked into the room. He leaned against the lockers and watched as Gintoki finished.  
"Oi, Kondou found a place he thinks you'll like. He wants yo to stop by, and talk to him."  
He reached into a nearby locker and pulled a pack of cigarettes out.  
"Okay... You're gonna smoke in here?" I pointed to the cigarette and he nodded.  
"No one's gonna stop me." He shrugged and I turned to face Gintoki.  
He was pulling his clothes out of his locker and I decided to ask a question that had been hanging in my mind since I met him.

"Gin-San, why do you always wear hats?" He peered at me over his shoulder, his expression blank.

"I don't."  
"You have every time I've seen you." I pointed out. He nodded and placed his hand to his chin.  
I remained silent while he raised hie eyes to the ceiling, obviously thinking of a reason.  
"Oh, a woman told me the sun would burn my hair. So I started wearing protection."  
"Why'd you say it like that? You made hats sound dirty!" Hijikata chimed in.  
"No, that's just your mind. You have a dirty brain."

I had to snicker at the two men, it was true that what he had said didn't exactly sound right.

"Any way the woman said something about bleach, and I didn't want that to happen to my hair." Gintoki stated, pulling his clothes from the locker.

"Your hair can't get bleached, perm-head; It's already white!"

I shifted my gaze to Hijikata. I hadn't known his hair was white. Or curly.  
Those details revealed exactly where I had seen him before.  
I didn't quite know how to react. Should i try to kill him discreetly, or tell him.

After a moment of silence, I glared at Gintoki. Standing up, I pulled the bath cap off of him.  
"Oi! What the hell do you think-" I cut him off.

"It was you! I know where you know me from!" The words seemed to pour out of me, and he raised an eyebrow at my outburst.  
"Hm? It was the casino, wasn't it?" He nodded, and I shook my head.  
"NO! You did this to me! You're the one I was fighting! You use a wooden bokken! You said you wouldn't fight women!"

It took him a moment before he nodded.  
"Oh, you're the one that guy stabbed. That explains things." He continued on like nothing was wrong, and started to walk past me.  
Hijikata was frowning at the interaction, and I grabbed Gintoki's arm.  
"Wait! I want a rematch. We have to fight again!" Our eyes met, and he started to laugh.  
"You can't fight me like that!"

Immediately angered I crossed my arms.  
"We'll see..."

* * *

Leaving the room, I walked back to the woman's side and grabbed my sword.

_'He thinks I can't fight right now... I'll show him!'  
_Leaving my robe behind I stomped back to the men's locker room, and unsheathed my blade.  
Gintoki stared at me blankly, while Hijikata was wide eyed.  
"You can't just barge in here half naked and start swinging your sword around!" He glared at me as he spoke, and I ignored him.  
"You... Grab your bokken..." I pointed the blade at Gintoki, and he continued to watch me.  
The man watched me with a blank expression, and moments later he grabbed his nose.  
Blood seeped through his fingertips, and I scowled.  
"You're gonna fight like _that_!?" He finally spoke, and I rolled my eyes.  
"Well, I'm not here to have a tea party..."  
He started to laugh.

Gintoki had already pulled his clothes on and his laughter only further agitated me.  
"Shut up! damn it, take me seriously!"  
I lunged at him swinging the blade, and he jumped out of the way.  
"Rein, I'm gonna arrest you!" Hijikata started to yell, but I tuned him out.  
I continuously accosted Gintoki, damaging lockers and knocking pictures off of the walls.  
"Coward... Stop... Running!" Growling the words I charged at the man again.  
Hijikata remained leaned against the lockers, watching; apparently having given up on trying to reason with me.

The blade of my sword almost caught Gintoki, and he pulled his bokken out in time to block me.  
"Oi! Watch where you're swinging that thing!"  
He clenched his teeth and pushed me back through the contact of our weapons.  
I glared at him for a moment, before continuing.  
We broke the two benches in the room, and a small vase that had been on a stand.  
He only blocked my attacks; never trying to strike me back.

Growing annoyed I swung low. He jumped back, and swept his leg under mine. Once again, I fell.  
My sword dropped, and I leaned back up.  
"Damn it..."  
One of my eyes closed, as I raised my hand to my head.  
My knees were bent, and when I peered up at Gintoki he had perched his bokken over his shoulder.  
"Cut it out." Was all he said, and his expression softened.  
I averted my gaze, sighing loudly.  
"No..."

"Have some respect! Don't stare at her like that!" Hijikata interrupted, and it took a moment for me to realize what they were talking about.  
"She's the one doing it!" A wide grin spread across Gintoki's lips, and I immediately closed my legs.  
"Fuck you! This isn't over..."  
Raising to my feet I grabbed my sword; storming past Hijikata, and out of the room.


	23. Bosses are Creepy

**_A/N: The last part of chapter 22 has been placed at the beginning of this chapter due to the edit that I did. _**  
**_I almost missed a good panty fighting scene, can you believe it? (I can't) _**  
**_Enjoy! :)_**

* * *

The warehouse district was the same as usual. Incomplete buildings, squatters, and litter.  
Peering around the streets made me realize that I really did want a home.  
Talking to Kondou seemed like a good Idea, so I decided to do so; soon.  
First I needed more money.  
Most likely I already had enough, but I didn't have any furniture, or essential house things.  
I didn't even know what essential house things were. Maybe towels, or something.

I went back to Takasugi's building. If anybody had a job for me; it would be him.

"Rein, you're back. What do you want?" He stood in the doorway, donning an annoyed expression.  
"A job sir. Forgive me for the intrusion."  
He nodded and motioned for me to come inside.  
"You seem to come around more these days. Is there a reason? Perhaps you desire my company?"  
He chuckled darkly and I ignored his question. The only answers I could give him would do more damage than good.

"Sir, I plan to obtain a place to live. I need something that will pay well."  
He raised his eyebrow at my boldness, yet nodded.  
"Well, I could think of a few things..." An amused smirk curled his lips.  
The suggestive tone of his voice caused me to scowl, but I waited for him to speak.

"There will be a small get together in my ship tomorrow.  
Accompany me; and dress like a lady for a change.  
Also, keep the sword. If anything happens I expect you to take care of it.  
I'll pick your outfit as well." His smirk grew wider, and I nodded.

"As you wish, sir. Thank you."  
Leaving it at that I decided to leave. He hadn't been as creepy as before, but I figured I wouldn't be so lucky in the future.  
Also, I wondered why the hell he was going to pick an outfit for me, but decided not to protest.

The day was coming to an end, and it was time to set up for the night.  
I returned to my usual spot in the incomplete warehouse.  
Only a few others were there this time. Normally about ten people would show up, but tonight there were only two.  
The silence was appreciated, and I welcomed it with open arms.

* * *

"This? You want me to wear this?"  
It was a new day, and I stood in Takasugi's room, holding up the outfit he had picked for me.  
It was a westernized dress; long and a deep shade of plum. It wasn't bad, but it looked too small, and I would prefer a Kimono.  
"Yes, is there a problem with that?" He glared at me and I sighed.  
"No sir..."  
"I could help you put it on..."  
I scoffed at his suggestion.  
"I can do it..." I eyed him as he walked to the door of his room.  
He flashed me a dark grin before leaving.

The walls were a dark red, with chocolate wooden paneling.  
As I pulled the dress on, I stared at the wooden floor.  
It was a tight fit, and I could barely breath; let alone zip it up.  
Despite my hate of asking for help I walked to the door.  
"Takasugi-Sama! Please come here!" I called to him after cracking the door open, and he soon arrived scowling.  
"Why the fuck should I come to you? You seem to forget your position."  
I wanted to yell at him, but that would take too much air. I already couldn't fully inhale.  
"I apologize, sir... I can't zip it up..." I lifted my arm and pointed to the side zipper.  
The dress reached past my knees, and the chest was loose.  
The fabric draped down, in layers, and it looked nice. But the hips, and sides were ridiculously small.  
The man walked up to me, holding a slightly blank look on his face.  
He pulled on the zipper,and sighed when it didn't move.  
"I didn't expect you to be so fat... Inhale."  
_'That he just call me fat?! I'm one of the smallest sizes that there are!'_

I took a deep breath and he tugged on the zipper for a moment, before finally getting it up.  
He chuckled lightly when I exhaled. I was being held so tightly I could barely move.  
"This isn't funny sir! I can't even-"  
"Breath? That's how you know it fits properly." He walked back to the door, and gazed at me over his shoulder.  
"Hurry up and strap your sword on. We need to leave soon."  
I nodded, and attempted to grab my blade.  
It seemed as if I would rip the dress if I moved too quickly, and the black high heels he made me wear weren't helping.  
I couldn't walk in such ridiculous shoes, but I still managed. Before following after him I practiced walking around the room.  
I almost fell about a thousand times, but soon it seemed to be easier.  
I just had to concentrate on my feet. And not looking so awkward.

* * *

When I joined up with Takasugi and Kawakami we all boarded their ship.  
Matako was also with us, and made sure to flash me a coupe dirty looks.  
It wasn't like I wanted to be here, or dressed like this; so I ignored her, opting to stare out of the window.

The ride was silent, and Kawakami walked up to me.  
"Your song is very awkward tonight... It doesn't match the rhythm at all, I dare say..." He peered down at me and I nodded.  
"Tell me about it. I can't breath, and I'm afraid that if I stand up to quickly this damn dress will rip."  
I motioned down at the gown and he snickered at me.  
"It looks nice." He walked away, without giving me time to respond.

Twenty minutes later we stopped and all exited the ship.  
I followed behind Takasugi, and the group until they all stopped at a large building.  
"Come here." Takasugi shifted his gaze to me, and I obliged.  
He held his arm out, and I laced my hand through it.  
This was the most awkward thing we had ever done together.  
He was never a gentleman, so it was unsettling for him to be this way now.

We entered the doors of the building, and made our way to a small room.  
Only about twenty people stood inside of the room, and almost immediately Takasugi walked up to a man.  
"Takasugi." A man with red hair nodded to him, and he did the same.  
"Kamui, where have you been hiding?" Takasugi raised his eyebrow, and I peered at the two men.  
"Hiding? I don't hide. It's been busy lately." The man flashed us a wide grin, and shifted his attention to me.  
"Who is this? Is this your girlfriend?" He asked, and Takasugi chuckled.  
"For tonight."  
He peered down at me, probably trying to see how I would react to the statement; I didn't.  
"This is Rein." He stated and the man nodded.  
"I'm Kamui, nice to meet you Miss." His grin never faded and I offered an uncomfortable smile.  
"Yeah, the same to you." I responded. Soon Takasugi pulled me away, and led me to another group.  
I had no clue where Kawakami or Matako went, but I wished they were somewhere near by.  
Just so I could feel as though I knew somebody here.

* * *

I spent an hour being pulled around by Takasugi, not speaking.  
He introduced me to people I could only assume were friends, or maybe business partners.  
Occasionally he would turn to me and comment on my awkward walk,  
and though it truly pissed me off; I decided not to respond.  
He said the job was high paying, and I didn't want to mess that up.

Everything was fine until another small group of people walked in.  
I didn't know who they were but Takasugi stared them down as if he expected something to happen.  
He was right, the group walked towards us, and a man who stood in the middle of the people spoke.  
"My, my, it's Shinsuke. What are you doing here?" The man had dark brown hair, and smirked at Takasugi as he spoke.  
"I could ask you the same question." Takasugi wore a similar expression; just more malicious that the man's.

"You've some audacity; showing your face when you still haven't paid up.  
I warned you what would happen if I saw you again... Rein," He turned to me, and motioned to the man.  
"Take care of him."

Nodding, I pulled out my sword, but quickly found myself restrained. All eyes were on me, but I turned to Takasugi.  
"Sir, unzip this dress..."  
He eyed me oddly before attempting to.  
His expression fell blank upon realizing that the zipper was impossibly stuck.

"You expect this bimbo to take me out?!" The man began to laugh, yet Takasugi seemed unfazed.  
He just stared at the zipper with a puzzled expression.  
"What the fuck..? Bansai, come here!"  
Kawakami soon joined him in the attempt to loosen the dress. He was staring at it just as dumbstruck as Takasugi.

Annoyance crept over me and I scowled.  
"Fuck it. Don't even worry about this. I'll take care of it..." My voice was low as I brought the blade to the bottom of my dress.  
I sliced it up to my hips; eliminating the restraining bonds of the fabric.  
Once freed I could move any way I wanted. The moment I charged the man I fell over.

'Damn these shoes!' Thoroughly frustrated I kicked them off, and picked myself up.  
"Damn it Rein! What the hell are you doing?!" Takasugi stood behind me, yelling.  
I peered at the man over my shoulder, unable to contain the scowl that had forced its way onto my face.  
"It's you're fucking fault..." I hissed, before turning back to the task at hand.  
Finally satisfied with my level of comfort, I lunged at the man again.

We fought for a moment, before his three friends decided to join in.  
Soon Takasugi, and Kawakami were fighting by my side.

It didn't take long to silence the group, and we all remained panting over them.  
The other people in the room hadn't paid us any attention, as if this was an expected outcome.  
I felt a pair of eyes on me, and turned to meet Kamui's gaze.

Takasugi walked over to the man who used to be the leader of the group.  
He pulled his wallet from a pocket that was no longer connected to his torso; though his legs were still in the pants.

"Here." He tossed me the wallet, and I grinned.  
"Thank you sir!"

* * *

When we arrived back at the warehouse, I counted the money in private.  
It was more then expected, and I was sure that I could afford a place, and towels.  
Satisfied I returned to the main room.

"Rein, come with me..." Takasugi had been waiting for me.  
The moment I exited the small bathroom he beckoned me to follow behind him.  
I did as instructed, and he led me up the stairs and to his room.  
I figured it was just so I could change back into my regular clothes, but he had more in mind.

"You did well tonight..." One the door was shut behind us, he turned to face me.  
His eye seemed to bore into me, causing an unsettling emotion.  
The man walked up to me, and held gripped the ripped side of my dress, lifting it up.  
"That was quite a show... Though it seems you intended to be suggestive..." Our gaze met, and I frowned at him.  
"I apologize if that is what it seemed to be sir.  
I simply could not move as I needed with this dress restricting me in such a manner."  
I bowed lightly, and his lips twisted into a threatening smirk.  
"Are you so sure of that? You intentionally flashed me when we were fighting..."  
I felt a blush creeping onto my cheeks.

"I did no such thing! It's hard to control my clothes when I'm trying not to die!"  
Unable to control my voice I hissed the words at him.  
The action was immediately met with a dark glare.

"What makes you think you can take such a tone with me..?" His voice was low, and I immediately realized I had made a mistake.  
It was already unlike me to thank him and apologize so often. Finding it difficult to retract my statement I scowled.

"I want to avoid any misunderstandings, that is all sir."

My answer did not satisfy him, and before I knew what he was doing he sharply tugged on the dress.  
The fabric ripped and revealed my under clothes. I was thankful that my chest was wrapped, and I wore panties.  
Immediately placing my hands on my hips I glared at him.  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"  
Being weak was not something I could readily do.  
He may have expected me to grow embarrassed, maybe even scream; I would not give him the satisfaction.

"You're rather hard to break, you know?" He grinned at me, and my expression did not lessen.  
"So you are still not frightened? You won't react as a regular woman would? Run? Beg me to let you go?"

I didn't respond, just walked away from him.  
My clothes were laying on the bed, and all I wanted to do was get to them.  
If I got my clothes I could easily leave.  
I could hear him following behind me, and when I reached my clothes he shoved me onto the bed.  
Now I was nervous. It wasn't every day that I was put in this sort of situation.  
I caught myself with my hands, and turned to face him.

"_Takasugi_... If you continue, this will be a fight...  
I've slayed many men in my life, one more would not impede my ability to sleep..."  
Glaring up at the man I realized that my warning only caused his smirk to widen.


	24. Bosses are Still Creepy

Glaring up at my employer I maintained a hard expression.  
He didn't seem bothered by it, truthfully he seemed excited; as if he wanted a fight.  
"Rein, are you scared yet? You don't seem to be... And you also addressed me improperly..." His voice was low, and I scowled.  
"_You_ could not scare me."  
He frowned at my words, and lowered himself over me.  
The lack of space caused my heart to race.  
"You're getting nervous... What will you do?" He had an arm on either side of me, and I held myself up with my elbows.  
"Fuck you..." I shoved him back, and he scowled at me before letting lose a chuckle.  
"That's my job..." He flashed me an amused smirk before walking back to the bed.  
I straightened myself, and grabbed my clothes; tucking the wallet inside of them.

"Where do you think you're going? I'll have to punish you for being such a tease."  
He stood over me; his expression never lessening.  
Without giving him the time to continue being creepy, I rose to my feet, and threw a punch at him.  
He quickly caught my arm, and twisted it behind my back.  
"You're too slow..." His hand was clasped around my right arm, and it moved from my wrist to the stitches on my forearm.  
"Did you really think you could hit me with such a slow punch?  
You'd have a better chance with you're sword, but it's obvious who's more skilled at that as well..."  
He paused, and I glared at him over my shoulder.  
"So you want to fight me?" He tightened his grip on my stitches, forcing a cry of pain from within me.  
When I cried out I pulled away from him; leaning forward.  
His hand did not slip from my wrist, instead he forced me down onto the bed.  
Despite the obvious harassment, I grew embarrassed from the awkward placement of my body.

"You expect to defend yourself in this position?" He pushed against me, and I turned to peer up at him over my shoulder once again.  
Takasugi still held his amused grin, and his eye met mine.  
He slipped a finger under the elastic of my underwear and I struggled to squirm away.  
"What the fuck?! Let me go!"

He didn't know what I head tucked in my clothes.  
I would never separate myself from my dagger; unless I had my sword.  
I reached into the folds of my clothes and gripped the handle of my concealed defense.

"Do you know what happens to-"

Without giving him time to complete his sentence, I quickly turned around; swinging the blade at him.  
He leaned back; avoiding most of the blow.  
Finally released I rose to my feet, glaring at the man.  
Takasugi raised his fingers to his cheek where a small trickle of blood had appeared.  
"How dare you... I'll fu-"  
I was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Who the fuck is it?!" Obviously annoyed Takasugi called out to the person.  
"Me." Bansai came in the room and stared at the scene oddly before continuing as though nothing was happening.  
"A ship has arrived down stairs. Some Amanto want to trade." He motioned over his shoulder and Takasugi sighed loudly.

He glared at me once more before starting away without a word.  
I pulled my yukata over myself, and stared at Kawakami as Takasugi left the room.  
"I told you to be careful." He seemed to be glaring at me and I nodded.  
"It was rather unexpected. Thanks... For helping me..." I bowed to him deeply, and he remained still.

"I wasn't helping you. Your song got too loud, I couldn't hear my own music." He pointed to his headphones and I nodded.  
"The beat got too fast. You might want to slow it down, I dare say." With that he left and I hurried to finish dressing.  
I didn't announce my escape, just exited the building as quickly as possible.

'That wasn't acceptable...' Calming down seemed impossible.  
Anger had consumed me, and I considered what I should do.  
I walked down the street and to the Senshingumi.  
I wanted to talk to Kondou as quickly as possible. A steady place to stay was a good idea,  
and now that I knew I could afford one I allowed myself to grow excited at the thought.

* * *

**_A/N: I know, I know, Takasugi is just so rape-ey. That's just how he is though.  
Couldn't see him going after anybody without taking it._**  
**_*Sigh* Isn't he dreamy? Haha._**


	25. Sadists Can be Fun

"I'm so glad you came! I started to think you wouldn't show! How is everything going?"  
Kondou flashed me a wide grin, and I forced one in return.  
I had waited another week before actually talking to him.  
Instead of coming right away I took more jobs; from employers other then Takasugi of course.

"It's been well... I appreciate your asking. So I was told that you think you could help me find a place?"  
I didn't want to force meaningless chit chat. Small talk always caused uncomfortable situations and silences.  
"Yes, yes! Do you have time to come with me today?" His smile never faded and I nodded.

When I had entered the Senshingumi, Hijikata and Okita were giving me odd looks.  
I didn't quite know what to make of them, so I did my best to ignore the attention.

After agreeing to go with Kondou, I excused myself to use the restroom.  
I walked to the familiar door, and the moment I was about to walk in Okita sped past me, and locked the door.  
Concealing the annoyance this had sparked I leaned against the wall to wait, scowling.  
He hadn't even looked like he was rushing to use the bathroom.  
He was smirking at me the entire time, and walking normally (Despite the fact that he zoomed by me).

Crossing my arms, I gazed around the room.  
The Senshingumi members were walking around talking; and training as always.  
A few minutes passed, and I saw Yamazaki pass by.  
When he noticed me he approached with a friendly smile.

"Rein-San! How have you been? It's been a while."  
I tried to return his smile, but at this point it felt as though my teeth were floating  
(due to the lack of release that only the bathroom could provide).  
"Good... Good. How are you Yamazaki-San?"  
"It's the same as always here. I was just about to sneak outside..."  
He motioned to the concealed badminton racket under his coat.  
"Hm, just be careful not to get caught... You know how Hijikata gets when he catches you."  
He nodded and we remained silent for a moment.

'What are you dong here?" He motioned to the wall and I rolled my eyes.  
"Exactly what it looks like, Okita stole the bathroom for me and he isn't coming out..."  
I glanced at the large wooden door before returning my attention to Yamazaki.  
He frowned for a moment before muttering. "He really needs to stop doing that..."

"Well, I'm gonna get going, you might want to go some where else, he's not gonna let you in there."  
He waved at me before turning away.

"Wait, what?!" I stopped him and he peered at me over his shoulder nodding.  
"He's a total sadist, trust me, you aren't getting in that bathroom."  
With that he left, and I sighed loudly.  
It was obvious that Okita was a sadist, but to go so far as to keep me from the bathroom didn't make sense.  
Why would he be picking on me?

Turning to face the door, I knocked.  
Receiving no answer I sighed once again.  
He might not want to let me in, but I would find a way.  
Just as I started to twist the knob the door opened.  
Relief crept over me as I peered through the opening. I could see Okita flashing me a sinister smirk.  
"Oh, Rein-San. I didn't know you needed to come in here... Here, let me-"  
He slammed the door shut, and my jaw dropped.

"Damn it, Okita-San! Open this door!"  
Giving up on trying to break the handle of the door, I pulled my dagger from my boot.  
I tried to work it between the door and the frame, growing more persistent as my body warned me of the possible flood.

Laughter echoed from inside the small room, and I scowled.  
_'This is impossible...'  
_A new plan sparked in my mind, seeming to be the only way.

"Fine! Fine Okita, you win, I give up! What ever, I can hold it for days if necessary!"  
After announcing my leave, I walked around the corner waiting for him to respond.  
It took another five minutes before the door opened.  
Okita stepped out of the bathroom, and peered around the hall way.  
When he closed the door and started away, I dashed down the hall and tackled him.  
"Why the hell would you do that?!" He peered up at me blankly.  
"Do what?" He asked innocently. I glared at the man, wanting to yell more, but knowing I didn't have the time.  
"Damn it Okita! You know-"  
"What the hell are you two doing?!" Hijikata's voice startled me, and I jumped at the interuption.

"Huh?" I peered at Hijikata for a second before understanding what this looked like.  
I was straddling Okita, and he was just staring up at me blankly (As usual).  
"We- I'm-... It's not-" I shifted my gaze between the man beneath me, and Hijikata.  
Unable to find the words I just awkwardly stood up and walked into the bathroom.  
After escaping the situation, I heard Okita's voice.  
"I told her I wasn't interested, but she was really persistent."  
"What?! She was trying to-" Hijikata's voice was laced with disbelief.  
"Yeah."

_'Why the fuck would he do that?!' _I didn't know if I was more embarrassed or angry. When I finished, I returned to Kondou.

"Rein-San! You took a long time!" He seemed to be laughing at me and I shook my head.  
"Forgive me, I was distracted with a conversation..."

* * *

Kondou took me to a nearby apartment complex.  
I noted that it was close to my target, Gintoki's house.  
When he led me up the stairs, Kondou continued to the Senshingumi, and a woman he was in love with named Tae-Chan.  
He also spoke about how the apartments were nice inside.  
Reaching into his pocket he revealed a key and opened the door.  
I was surprised by the space, and waited for him to walk in first.  
He led me around, giving me somewhat of a tour.  
"This is the kitchen, and the living room. Over there's the bathroom, and-"  
Unable to contain my curiosity I interrupted him.  
"Sir? Umm, where do the towels go?"  
He flashed me an odd frown.  
"Towels? I suppose you could put them any where you want..." He shrugged and motioned for me to follow him down the hallway.  
"It's freshly painted, and over here is the bed-" When he opened the door we both froze.  
Standing on a ladder in the middle of the room was an old man painting the ceiling... In nothing but a pair of underwear.

Kondou stood with his jaw hanging, and wide eyed. I, on the other hand, scowled.  
The old man turned to gaze at us, wordlessly.  
"Who is this? He doesn't come with the place does he?" I shifted my gaze to Kondou who still looked startled.  
"Erm, This is the land lord... He- Umm, he takes care of any repairs you need... Let's go..."  
He grabbed my sleeve, and pulled me away from the room, taking care to close the door.

"So, it's a nice place! Heh, Heh... What do you say?"  
I glanced down the hallway towards the room, before nodding slowly.  
"As long as he isn't here, yeah... Thank you. For finding this for me..."  
He chuckled lightly before shrugging.  
"Well, I felt bad that you lost your place because you got hurt. By the way... What happened that day?"  
He raised his eyebrow, and I stared at him blankly.  
"Wrong place, wrong time." I didn't offer any more details, and he nodded.  
"Well, lets go talk to the people in the office." He offered a slight smile and I agreed.


	26. Stubborn People Only But Heads

A week had passed, and I had moved into the apartment Kondou helped me find.  
I had bought towels, but realized that I needed other things. Things like furniture and silverware.  
It was odd as I had never even imagined I would live in an actual house, or place considered fit for inhabitation.  
I still hadn't returned to Takasugi's building, as I had no desire to be put in such an uncomfortable situation again.  
All I owned was a futon, couch and two pairs of chop sticks. Anything else seemed excessive, but a table would be nice.

I awoke in a good mood. Light danced into the window, creating small boxes of gold.  
Leaning up, I slid the black sheet off of my legs.  
I walked to the small closet in the corner of the bare room.  
After picking an outfit I took a shower. That was another perk of having a place.  
Unlimited showers! It was amazing. Any time I wanted I could just walk into the bathroom and take a shower.  
I really hadn't realize just how little I knew about such a life style.  
It had never occurred to me before, as I always caught showers whenever possible. T  
here were a number of public bath houses as well, and often times I would go to one of them.

I was still living out of my backpack, though it seemed it would make more sense to unpack.  
Then again I had nothing to put anything in, and nothing to really put anywhere.  
The apartment already had hangers so my clothes were in the closet, but things like books, or under garments stayed in my bag.

It had been a good week all together, but I hadn't seen Gintoki.  
I wanted to hurry and eliminate the man but he had somehow managed to avoid my sight.  
I decided that I would go try to smooth things over with Hijikata today.

* * *

When I left the apartment I went to the store. While there I picked up a green apple some cigarettes and Mayonnaise.  
If there was one thing he couldn't resist it was the oily, bland condiment that I intended to (In a sense) bribe him with.  
When I arrived at the barracks it was early enough to be sure that he hadn't left yet.  
I made my way inside, and greeted the few people whose names I could remember; such as Yamazaki, and Okita.  
I pulled the apple from my bag, and took a large bite.

"You seem to be happy today!" Kondou walked up to me, smiling as usual.  
"Yeah... I've been very comfortable in that apartment... Erm, thank you, for helping me." I offered a slight bow to him and he laughed.  
"You don't need to thank me, I'm just glad I could help. What are you doing here today?" He raised his eyebrow at me and I shifted my gaze.  
"Well..." I paused not wanting to reveal my reason.  
"I wanted to talk... With Hijikata..." Figuring if I kept it short it wouldn't be so bad, I was relieved when he just nodded in response.  
"He's still in his room." The man motioned to the door over his shoulder before continuing past me. Now he held a large, goofy grin.

It only took a few more steps before I was standing outside of the door.  
I crossed my arms wondering if it was really even a good idea to talk to him, or what I would say.  
I took another bite of the apple, still thinking. I knew I couldn't just walk in a apologize.  
Saying sorry itself would be an issue.

_'Maybe if i just hand him the bag he'll understand...'  
_I peered down at the plastic bag by my side.  
Sighing loudly I knocked. Seconds later Hijikata's voice called out.  
"Come in!"

Hesitantly entering the room, I closed the door behind myself.  
Hijikata stood by his closet; apparently getting dressed, as, he had no shirt on.  
He seemed surprised to see me, but immediately narrowed his eyes.  
"What do _you_ want?" Annoyance had seeped into his voice and I scowled.  
"I came to talk... I want-"

"Your weapons? No, you can't have them back.  
You should be thankful that I even kept them a secret... What's wrong with you?!  
You come here just to pester me about something so stupid! You really are selfish, you know?  
You think about nothing but yourself; which you can't even take care of.  
You're always fighting, or causing trouble.  
It's a wonder you aren't in the cells underground right now.  
You're nothing but a bother, and a murderer at that..."

He glared at me, and my lips parted slightly.  
I could do nothing but stare at him, still scowling.  
My hand clenched the bag which hung past my knees.  
I had been holding it behind my legs, so not to draw too much attention to it's contents.  
This whole time I had wondered what i might say, but now I couldn't think of any words.

"Some day you will find yourself - and wish you hadn't... Get out, leave me alone. I don't even know why you would come here."  
He spoke in a harsh tone, and shifted my gaze to the window across the room from him.  
My expression had fallen blank, and my jaw no longer hung.  
I dropped my apple which I had only taken few bites of. Before I knew what was happening, a frustrated growl parted my lips.  
"Fuck you!" After hissing the words at him I flung the bag across the room, (smacking him in the face with it) and left.

Quickly walking to the nearest exit, I was stopped by Okita.  
"Oi, Hobo-San! Why are you here?"  
Already scowling I raised my eyebrow at him.  
"What the hell did you just call me?"  
He wore a blank expression as if he had said nothing.  
"Hm? You mean your name? Hobo-San?"  
I was already too annoyed to deal with this. Rolling my eyes I started past him.  
"Where are you going? You're not gonna play with me today?"  
He frowned at me, raising an eyebrow, but I didn't turn to face him.  
"I never play with you! You just do stupid shit, and I have to beat you at it."

I pulled the door open, and he followed behind me.  
"Isn't that playing?" He asked in a monotone voice.  
"No." I glanced at him over my shoulder, not surprised to be met with his regular blank smirk.  
"Hmm, you're acting all upset." He noted and I turned to face him.  
"What do you want, Okita-San?" I sighed loudly, and allowed my expression to become as deadpan as his.

"You've always got scars all over you... What do you keep doing all the time?" He reached out, and poked my stitches.  
"Ow... What the-" Silencing myself, I grumbled under my breath, glaring at the amused smirk that had formed on his lips.  
"Did that hurt?" He chuckled lightly, scratching the back of his head.  
"So you fight?"  
I didn't quite know what to make of his sudden questioning.  
He normally didn't talk to me, just played small pranks, or got me hurt.  
He once took the light bulb out of the wives' quarters, and moved the furniture so I would bump my shins on every possible object.

"Sometimes. Why?" He didn't offer an answer immediately, just turned away.  
"Well, if-" He was interrupted by a loud crash, and Hijikata's voice.  
"Damn it! SOUGO! WHAT THE FUCK!?"  
We both turned to face the entrance, and I followed behind Okita, who had donned a murderous grin.  
When we entered the room we found Hijikata sitting on the floor with a dagger stabbed into the wood beside him.  
He stood up and started stomping towards us.  
"What the fuck was that?! You almost killed me!" He looked as though a blood vessel on the side of his head might pop.  
Okita chuckled in response.  
"Hobo-San avoided it when she left your room." He motioned to me, but I had already started away.

I could feel both men watching me, but didn't turn to see.  
It was obvious that Hijikata definitely didn't want to talk to me, and I felt the same.


	27. Confrontations Never Go As Planned

Candle light was the only thing that illuminated my house.  
I had electricity, but often time preferred it this way.  
My plan for the night was to find Gintoki and settle our fight for good I didn't take long to get ready.  
All that I needed to do was strap on my sword and leave.  
Completely prepared I blew out the last candle and left the house.  
Wandering the streets I kept my eyes open for any sign of the silver haired samurai.  
I checked the nearest bars, the bath houses, and anywhere else I could think to find him.  
My wounds were practically nonexistent now, so I had more of an advantage then before.  
Moving was no longer tasking, or uncomfortable.

Just as I had decided to give up, I walked up the side of a bridge.  
To my surprise and delight the man I had been searching for was standing at the top.  
I narrowed my eyes, and waited for a second contemplating my approach.  
Deciding to opt for a direct attack I unsheathed my blade, and walked towards him.

"You..." I pointed the sword towards him and he gazed at me out of the corner of his eye.  
He didn't even turn to face me, just continued to stare at the traffic below.  
"Don't you have anything better to do?" He still didn't face me, and I scowled.  
"What's better then revenge? You left me to die!  
Didn't even give it a second thought after I collapsed...  
After acting all high and mighty, like you would help any woman in need..."

he didn't answer me, just watched the lights of cars speeding underneath us.  
There was a large stretch of tunnels down this entire road,  
and the cars would brighten the darkness for a second before passing through completely.

A single street lamp revealed the man to me and he sighed.  
"It's not what you think. You should-"  
"You've no right to tell me what I should and shouldn't do!" Quickly cutting him off, I tightened my grip on my sword.  
"Draw your bokken... Even if you refuse, I'll still kill you..." He raised an eyebrow, and turned to face me.  
"Are you so sure about that?" His question was unexpected. I thought he might insult me, or at least try to stop me, but he didn't.  
Not wanting to waste any more time, I swung my blade at him. He stepped out of the way and pulled his bokken from his side.

"That's more like it _Samurai_..." Darkness began to consume me, and nothing but pure blood lust drove me.  
He still appeared to be bored, and I pushed towards him once again.  
He effortlessly blocked me, grunting under the force of the blow he had cut off.  
We remained in place for a second and I saw him gaze at a large truck that was about to pass under the bridge we stood on.  
Shoving me back he ran to the edge.  
I knew he was going to jump on it to escape.

"Coward! Don't you fucking dare!"  
He didn't listen to me, and I quickly followed behind him.  
Just as he jumped over, I mimicked the motion and we both stood atop the semi.  
We held our arms out to steady ourselves, and I glared at the man.

"Once again you act as though you can't fight me...  
Why run if you're so skilled? Where do you plan to go?You know this will just happen again..."

He scoffed at me before raising a hand to his silver hair which blew in the breeze.  
"It would be a shame to scar that pretty face. You should just give up."  
He seemed to be laughing at me, yet his expression was deathly serious.  
Focusing on the scene behind him I pointed.  
"Bridge, duck!"  
We both dropped down onto the cold metal below us as the truck passed through a tunnel.  
There was enough space to be crouching, but if either of us died by hitting our heads on a concrete wall I would be pissed.

When we were back out in the night we stood up.  
"Why would you even tell me if you want me to die so badly?" Gintoki was the first to speak, and I scoffed at him.  
"Because I want to kill you, and it would be a shame if a bridge got all the credit."  
He nodded slowly, and with out another word, I ran to him as quickly as the rhythm of the truck below us would allow.  
Swinging my blade I scowled as he blocked my attack.  
"Why don't you try to fight me back?!" Frustrated I screamed the words at him and he shrugged.  
We had switched places, and his gaze shifted behind me. "Bridge!"  
I ducked down thankful that he had told me, but he immediately started laughing.  
"You looked so stupid!"  
Angered, I stood back up.  
"What the fuck! Stop playing around!" I tightened my grip on the handle of my sword, and started towards him.  
"Bridge!" He called but I shook my head.  
"I'm not falling for that shit again!" I hissed back.

"No! Seriously! Bridge! Look! Bridge!" He pointed towards me, and I shook my head again.  
"You aren't-"  
The man stepped to my side, and wrapped his arms around me; pulling me to the truck on top of him.  
Not even a second later we passed through a tunnel and I tucked my head into his chest as we did.

"Stupid, I told you." His voice was low, but I still heard him.  
When we got out of the tunnel, I raised myself off of him, and peered down at the man.  
_'He saved me... Even though I'm trying to kill him...'_

"Get off of me..." He shoved me to the side, and sat up.  
"Stupid girl, when somebody yells bridge while you're on the back of a fucking moving truck you always listen!"  
I gazed up at him sitting up as well.  
"You said bridge when there wasn't one! How was I supposed to know that you were telling the truth?!" frowning, I gripped my sword.  
"Let's finish..." We both stood up, and the truck went over a large bump.  
Gintoki slipped, and immediately fell to the floor, and slid along the side of the truck.  
"Gintoki! Damn it! Get back here!" Rushing towards him I grabbed his bokken, and secured it beside my sword.  
He was hanging on to the side of the truck, and I peered down at him.

"Oi, hurry up and pull me back!" Gintoki peered up at me wide eyed.  
_'If I let him drop, I won't have to deal with it. And I could take the credit for killing him...'_

I stared down at him intensely.

_"OI! STUPID! HURRY THE FUCK UP! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"_

I waited for a moment, ignoring his yelling.  
_'Should I do it? Hmm... If I help him then... Hmm... I don't know... Maybe if I...'_  
I squinted my eyes, and one of my eyebrows raised while the other furrowed.

"Oi..! OI..! **OI! **DAMN IT! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?" Gintoki remained frantic, and I sighed loudly.  
I couldn't just let him fall to his death and get run over by a bunch of cars...  
Even if I did want him dead. Not like that. I didn't want him to die that way.  
I offered him my hand, and he clasped onto it tightly.  
He was heavier then expected, and I pulled him back onto the truck.  
He sat beside me, picking his nose with his pinky.  
"Took you long enough... I could of sworn you were trying to kill me." He gazed at me blankly as if nothing had happened.  
I narrowed my eyes at the man, and pulled his bokken out of my sword strap.  
He watched me as I studied it, and silently placed it in his lap.  
Without a word, I gazed at the cars around us.  
Seeing an opportunity, I lept off of the Semi, to another one.  
I continued to travel from car to car until I was away from the silver haired man.

_'Why the hell did I just save him?'_


	28. The Punishment

A month passed as quickly as it had come and I had grown increasingly confused.  
When I had finally achieved an opportunity to kill Gintoki I had saved him instead.  
It was quite bothersome to think that the man I had been hunting this whole time,  
had actually appealed to me in such a way that encouraged me to protect his life when the whole time I had focused on ending it.  
The only thing I had done was work; still taking care to avoid Takasugi.  
After plotting various ways to teach him a lesson in the proper courtship of ladies,  
I decided that it would be simple enough to injure him and call it a day.  
Not just a small cut, but a large wound that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Amanto technology made it difficult to kill somebody entirely,  
(Unless you removed their head, heart or anything else that may be important)  
so I planned to maybe remove a limb, or destroy an important muscle.

It was a day like any other, and I finally seemed to be getting the hang of the domestic lifestyle that most humans opted for.  
Furniture and various other things seemed to pile up in my apartment, as I no longer needed to throw away unnecessary items.  
The streets were packed as always and I pushed through the crowd.  
I would get my revenge on Takasugi, and be satisfied with myself.  
Gintoki was a skilled swordsman, actually all of the men I met seemed to be skilled.  
My own skills with the blade seemed excessive at times, but for once in my life I had found men that I could not surpass.  
Takasugi, on the other hand, had never proven himself to me.  
He always seemed to be hiding behind Kawakami, and while I had fought beside them before, they seemed basic in nature.  
Maybe it was because our opponents weren't exactly pros, but I was determined to show him that he had made a grave mistake.

* * *

When I reached the warehouse it was empty.  
The ship was gone, and I could only assume they were out trading or planning to destroy Edo.  
I slipped into a window, and crept to Takasugi's room.  
Not a single person seemed to be walking the halls of the place, and it made it too easy for me to slip in.  
In Takasugi's room, I closed the door quietly, just in case somebody else was in the building.  
With no other choice but to wait, I sat on the bed in the dark.  
My plan was simple. When he walked in I would be by the door, and quickly grab the man.

Hours passed, and I continued to wait.  
Determined not to give up I felt adrenaline immediately surge through me when foot steps approached the room.

"Good work Bansai. I'll call you when I'm ready..."  
"Yes sir."

Takasugi was just outside of the room.  
I silently lept to my chosen spot behind the door.  
When it opened, him and Kawakami exchanged a few more words, which my mind blocked out.  
My heart raced, and I mentally prepared myself.  
Knowing that I needed to calm down I forced my pulse to slow until it calmly crept throughout my veins.  
The door closed, and Takasugi flicked the light on, still oblivious to the fact that I remained behind the door.  
When he shut the only thing between us, I tightly wrapped my arm around his shoulders, and placed my sword to his neck.

He froze, before speaking.  
"Rein, is it? I knew you would come sooner or later. What the fuck do you think you're doing?"  
He spoke in a cool tone, and I pressed the blade closer to his skin.  
"What does it look like?" I hissed into his ear.  
"There seems to be some important lessons you've missed out on... I'm here to educate you..."  
He chuckled lightly, despite the position I held him in.  
"Hmm, how kinky of you..." I scowled and before I could respond I felt a sharp jab of pain in my ribs.  
Takasugi pushed my blade away and removed himself from my grasp;  
taking advantage of the split second that my body reacted to the stun of the blow.  
I clenched the handle of my sword and my teeth as he turned to face me.

"How bold..." A sinister grin curled his lips as he quickly removed his sword.  
"I assumed you knew better then to accost me. Apparently I gave you too much credit..."  
My expression fell blank and i felt my eyes harden into the cold look of a killer.  
ignoring his cocky words, I waited for him to move; knowing I could predict his attacks.  
"You're quite fun... A lose cannon; so to speak... Such a shame I'll have to kill you..."  
He lunged towards me, and I found myself unable to do anything but block his attacks.

He pushed me back, and the sound of metal colliding rang in my ears.  
Leaning back with each blow absorbed by my sword, I grunted under the pressure.  
When an opening finally presented itself I lept away from him.  
He seemed surprised, but quickly hid the expression, turning to face me.  
Swinging my blade I forced him into a defensive stance, pushing him back against a dresser.  
He hadn't expected the furniture to get in the way, and I stabbed my blade towards him.  
He ducked, and the blade slipped into the wall behind him.  
Quickly retracting it, I threw a kick towards the evasive man.  
Caught by my foot, he growled and grabbed my leg, pulling me to the ground.

Once again adrenaline flooded my blood, and my heart seemed to pound in my ears.  
My body grew completely warm at the exertion and sweat beaded on my forehead.  
When I hit the ground, my sword slipped from my fingers.  
He grabbed my collar, and pulled me closer to him. Takasugi forced his lips to mine, and my eyes widened.  
_'What the fuck?!'_

Breaking free of the invisible binds around my body I began to hit him in any way possible.  
I punched his chest, and arms, but he did not loosen his grasp.  
Moving my head away in an attempt to break the contact, I found my actions were in vain.  
I shoved him back, but he just pulled me closer, before pinning me to the ground.  
His lips parted and I felt his tongue brush against my mouth.  
Turning away I tucked my feet to my torso between us, and kicked him backwards.  
Finally freed from the man, I rose to my feet as fast as I could.  
Retrieving my sword I couldn't help but yell at him.  
"What the fuck was that?!" I spat and he laughed at me grabbing his own blade.  
He stood up as well, not offering an answer, but effortlessly driving his blade towards me.  
I could barely keep up with his movements, and found myself almost tripping on occasion.  
Knowing that one false move was all it would take to be killed, I remained on my feet.


	29. The Punishment Pt2

"Shinsuke! Who are you fighting?" Kawakami was at the door, but I focused on Takasugi.  
If my attention was diverted, even for a second, he would have a clear opening.  
"Come in!" Takasugi hissed, and I was pushed back once more by his attack.  
Kawakami walked into the room, staring at the scene blankly.  
"Hm." Kawakami noted the situation in a pleasant tone, before walking to the bed and sitting down.  
He watched us, attempt to catch each other, with a bored expression.  
"It's been a while Rein, I dare say."  
Ignoring the teal haired man, I jabbed my blade towards Takasugi.  
He brought his own sword down on mine, blocking the attack.  
Quickly recovering I managed to slice his leg, and he growled in response.

Takasugi's blade moved swiftly. He brought it to my cheek, and soon I felt a warm sensation trickle to my chin.  
The next flurry of our attacks seemed to land easily, as we focused on disabling one another.  
The only things that didn't seem to make contact were the deadly attacks.

Plunging my blade towards the one eyed man,  
I was surprised when he evaded the attack, and wrapped his arms around me from behind.  
His hand clasped over mine, forcing me to drop my sword.  
I struggled against him, as he moved me to a small desk.  
He wrestled me on to it, holding my arms in place.  
"You're quite skilled I see..." He reconnected our lips, and I hissed in response.  
"What the- Damn it- Takasugi-!" Whenever I manged to break my lips from his I yelled out.  
I kicked my legs towards him in an attempt to dissuade the man.  
Grabbing both of my hands with one of his he forced them over my head.  
Placing his free hand to my neck, he pulled away.

"You really though you could pose a threat to me?"  
He seemed to be laughing at me and I scowled, still trying to free my hands.  
We were both covered in blood, and I very obviously posed a threat, but he didn't seem to care.  
The yellow butterflies on his Yukata were now scarlet in hue, and a murderous spark took his eye.

I gazed at Kawakami who was still watching us, except he had leaned back against the wall beside the large bed.  
Peering up at Takasugi I wondered what he might do.  
I knew I wouldn't like it, and his hand had tightened around my throat.  
I struggled to free my hands but he held them with an iron grip.  
Takasugi leaned down over me, licking the blood from my cheek.

"They say you can tell exactly who a person is in their last moments... I wonder who you are..."  
He seductively breathed the words in my ear, and I felt his warm breath against my skin.  
Ignoring his statement I kicked my legs and pulled my arms.  
He grunted in pain when my foot made contact with one of his wounds.  
His grip lessened, and I dropped my hands to my neck in an attempt to unlatch the claw which blocked my breath.  
I scrambled in any way I could on the desk, and the things around me fell over or dropped to the floor.  
He allowed his now free hand to join the other around my neck, blocking more air (As if I was getting any to begin with).

"What's going on in here?!" Matako burst through the door, and spotted me and Takasugi.  
"Takasugi-Sama! Takasugi-Sama you're hurt!" She ran over to us, and placed a hand on his shoulder.  
"Not now, Matako..." Takasugi grumbled the words, and the woman pouted.  
Her pink yukata seemed to be turning neon in my sight.

Gasping for air I clawed at his hands, and my throat not caring if I was breaking my own skin.  
"T- Ta- T-" I tried to call out to him, but found myself unable to even choke his name.  
It felt as though all the pressure on my body had risen to my head, which would pop any second now.  
The malicious grin on Takasugi's face revealed the pleasure he was getting from the assault.  
"You're gonna kill her, I dare say." Kawakami spoke up, and Takasugi glanced at him.  
"Yeah, that's the plan."

I felt myself going numb. My vision blurred and there was only one thing I could do.  
I stopped moving, and allowed my eyes to close. His grip remained and I heard Kawakami speak up.  
"Shinsuke, stop... Please, let her go..."  
"She deserves this, Bansai." Takasugi answered.  
I wasn't out yet, it took less energy to pretend to be then to fight.  
"Damn it- She's gonna die!"  
"Yes..." Takasugi replied in a low tone.

The moment I felt his hands loosen, I gasped for air, filling my lungs with as much as they could hold.  
They tightened around me again, and I opened my eyes.  
Glaring at the one eyed man, I brought my feet up in an attempt to kick him.  
"You've got more fight in you? How entertaining..."  
Takasugi sneered the words, and I drew my arm back.  
I punched him, and the moment he moved back, I kicked him away.  
He fell backwards and I unsteadily stepped on the ground.  
My body felt completely drained, and it took everything I had not to collapse on the floor beside the man.

Rushing past him I grabbed my blade, and pointed it at the man.  
"I-" My breath had not been caught completely yet, and I panted before continuing.  
"Will not die so easily..."Takasugi quickly stood up, grabbing his sword a he did.  
Kawakami and Matako stood by the bed watching us.

Takasugi lunged at me and I pivoted out of the way.  
"Bansai, get over here. Let's end this quickly... She's getting bothersome..."  
Takasugi called to the man, and Kawakami hesitated.  
"Get over here!" Takasugi sneered, and Kawakami slowly obliged.  
I was already having a hard time blocking Takasugi.  
I knew that is Kawakami joined in, I might as well me dead already.  
Kawakami pulled his sword from the instrument on his back.  
Takasugi stopped, and I stepped back, taking the opportunity to catch my breath.  
Takasugi donned a sinister grin, but Kawakami's lips were pursed.  
He held a gravely serious expression, as if he was conflicted.

I would receive no other opportunity. I needed to act as quickly as possible.  
Without giving them time to advance I ran. Escaping was my best hope in this state.  
I still felt weak, and that is no condition to fight two grown men.

I dashed out of the door and started down the hallway.  
The sound of footsteps behind me only pushed me to run farther.  
Just as I reached the stairs a sharp pain caused me to freeze in place.  
Glancing down I found a blade protruding from my thigh.  
I gazed over my shoulder not surprised to find Takasugi, still approaching me and smirking as usual.  
Kawakami walked beside him still frowning.

"Caught..." Takasugi snickered as he stopped behind me and removed the blade.  
I gazed out of the window to my right, wondering if I had any chance left.  
Unable to do anything but scream at the sensation of the knife being pulled from my flesh, I squeezed my eyes shut.  
Takasugi gripped my shoulder and turned me around.  
"Bansai... Let's make this quick." He glanced at Kawakami who just nodded in response.

I attempted to move away from the men, but Takasugi stabbed me once again; this time in my hip.  
I cried out, and glared at the men hatefully.  
"Bansai..." Takasugi peered at the man over his shoulder.  
Kawakami didn't respond, just stared at me (Or at least I think he did).  
"Hurry up! Do it!" Takasugi shouted, and without hesitation Kawakami jammed his blade into my shoulder.  
The pain was unbearable and all I found myself able to do was scream.

"Sir! We just got word that the Senshingumi are coming here! We need to leave!"  
An unknown voice called out to Takasugi. He just nodded in response.  
The men quickly turned me to face the rail of the stairs.  
My back was to the window and I began to panic even more.

_'Is it not enough to stab me to death? Are they really going to-'_

My thoughts were interrupted by another shriek of pain as the blades were retracted.  
Blood had begun to pool around my feet, and I stared at the men darkly.  
Though I was slow, I refused to die without defending myself.  
Kawakami refused to look at me, as though it pained him to see such a sight.  
I placed a hand on the handle of my sword, but before I could even draw it Takasugi kicked my back into the glass of the window.  
I heard it crack, and the wind got knocked out of me, as his foot landed in my stomach.

"Shinsuke! Don't do it! She's already going to die, just stop!"  
Kawakami turned to face the man, and his statement was met with a sinister expression.

"What's wrong with you Bansai? It seems as if you care for this woman... Do you love her? Is that it?"  
Takasugi snarled the words, and Kawakami shook his head.

"This has gone to far... Let me-"  
"No." Takasugi interrupted him, kicking me one last time.  
The glass gave way, and I became air born.

The sensation of the wind would have made me feel free if it wasn't for the crippling pain.


	30. Instincts

I had been trained for this.

_"Always fall feet first Rein... Land on the balls of your feet, bend your knees and roll forward."  
"Like this?"  
"No, tuck your shoulder, and cup your head so your neck and skull are protected..."_

My master's words popped into my mind and despite the pain I moved almost instinctively.  
Pain rippled through me, as I rolled over the grass, and I ignored it before allowing myself to un-tense.  
I laid flat on my back and peered up at the window.  
Takasugi and Kawakami were watching me.  
"She's more skilled then anticipated..." Takasugi's voice was low, almost inaudible.  
My breathing was tasked, and I lifted myself with my arms.  
The shoulder that Kawakami had stabbed me through threatened to give out, but I forced myself to continue.

"Hurry up! Get in the ship! They're coming!"

I heard Matako's voice in the distance, and I pulled myself to the front of the building.  
Blood covered my hands and the grey yukata around me.  
Ignoring the exhaustion that slowly consumed me, I dragged myself to the bushes beside the entrance.

Feeling safe, my eyes closed. Now that I was fully concealed I could allow myself to rest.  
Each breath I drew was painful, yet so was everything else I did. I asked myself why I refused to give up.  
_'What is the purpose of my life? If I sleep now, will I have to deal with it?'_  
Maybe it was the severe throbbing of my head, or the sharp stinging sensation of my wounds that encouraged me to think this way.  
That accompanied with the intense fatigue that threatened to take me into the land of dreams inspired me to allow myself to slip away.  
Defeat gnawed at my soul, and I drifted into the darkness of my heavy eyelids.

Nothing but black. Not a single sound or feeling.  
An impenetrable wall of despair stood before me, and I could do nothing but wonder what was beyond it.  
If I attempted to climb it, my body would give out, and I would be forced to stop.  
It was a solid stone wall, in the middle of nothing. In a place where I wondered if I belonged. In the darkness.

* * *

My eyes shot open at the sound of a loud slam.  
"Come on! Let's get in there! Toushi, you take that half of the men! Sougo, you and the other men come with me!"  
It was Kondou, and I willed my body to move.  
If anybody would help me, it was them; the Senshingumi.  
Foot steps began to pass me, and I wondered if I would ever be found.  
A voice rang out.  
"Oi, Kondou, there's a pool of blood over here..." It was Okita, and I finally managed to move.  
"O-Okita-San..." I reached out to the man, pushing the bush out of the way. He stared at me for a moment, donning a puzzled expression.  
"Oh, it's you! Hobo-San, what are you doing here?" He didn't seem to quite understand the seriousness of this situation, but I knew he did.  
The man pulled me out of the bush and I hissed at the strain of my injuries.

"That hurt?" He peered down at me, and scooped me up.  
"You're gonna die, I'm gonna tell Kondou." His tone was flat, and he carried me to the other members of the Senshingumi inside.  
"You might be right this time... I think I will... I- I'm bleeding on you..." I weakly pointed to his cheek, which had a smudge of blood from my hair.  
"I know." He stated.

When we were inside of the building, I spoke again.  
"They already left... It's no use trying to find them here, they knew - That you were coming."  
"Hmm?" He glanced at me oddly for a second before finally reaching the other men.  
"Kondou. Look - It's Hobo! She's dieing again!"  
The men all turned to face us, but I was too weak to look at them. My head remained tucked into Okita's chest.

"There's nobody upstairs sir!" Hijikata's voice called out, and I heard a group of footsteps approaching.  
"Oi, don't go to sleep, you're gonna die." Okita started nudging me, and I groaned in response.  
"Who's that?"

The voices seemed to be fading away, and though Okita's arms were warm, I was extremely cold.  
My teeth began to chatter, and I pushed closer to him.  
"Oi, she's freezing, give me another jacket!" A loud voice penetrated the silence that had settled over me.  
The room had fallen so silent, that I could hear the blood dripping from my body to a pool on the floor.  
"Here, let me take her... She needs to go to the hospital..."  
"It's no use..." A voice responded  
"Damn it, just hand me the girl!"

There was an exchange between men, and I felt myself placed against another man's body.  
Without another sound I was rushed out of the building and placed in a car.  
"Rein! Rein, wake up! Come on, stay awake!"  
The car cranked up, and we started moving.  
"Talk to me, Rein, can you hear me?"  
I nodded slowly, and immediately the heat was turned on.  
My eyes flickered open, and I gazed at the man who was helping me.  
It was Hijikata, and I didn't know how to react.

"What the hell happened to you rein?! What were you doing there?!"  
He was speeding through traffic, and cutting people off.  
If I wasn't already about do die, I probably would have been scared.  
All I could manage was a small shrug in response. I remained leaned on the seat facing him.  
"Damn it... Start talking to me... Don't stop until we get to the hospital..."

Offering a small nod, I began to speak. All I could manage was a low mumble.  
The ache of my body was a thief, stealing my dignity, my sense of accomplishment, my time, my memories...  
Trying once more my voice was clearer, but lazy and slurred.

"I miss my master... I got a fortune cookie once...  
He sent me away and I've been alone ever since... I'm gonna die Toushi...  
The cookie told me so... The mystic told me so... It's no use..."  
"Stupid!" He smacked me on the head and I squeezed my eyes shut.  
"Don't say things like that!"

I peered at the man at a loss for words.  
He glanced at me, scowling.  
"Keep talking."

I didn't know if I should talk or not.  
My thoughts were extremely random and buzzing around my head.  
If I were to focus on a single one it would be hazy, along with any memories as well.  
Before I could respond the car jumped violently and he muttered "Shit." under his breath.  
We came to a screeching halt and he told me to stay put.  
As if I could move if I wanted to.  
Hijikata got out of the car, and started yelling.

"PERM HEAD! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD?!"  
"I dropped my JUMP! You ran me over! I ought to sue you!"

"Damn it! Damn it! Shut up! I'll leave you here if you say you're gonna sue!"

The bickering continued, and soon Hijikata shoved Gintoki in the back of the car.

"Oi, what's wrong with her?"

We sped off again, and Hijikata looked more high strung then before.  
"Look at her! Can't you tell?! She's bleeding profusely and... Sleeping... OI! WAKE THE FUCK UP!"

A hand shoved me back against the door, and I winced at the pain.  
"Damn it- I'm awake... I was just resting my eyes..." I slurred the words at him, fighting against the urge to fade away.

"Did you do that too, Oogushi-Kun? Did you kill her too?" Gintoki chimed in, speaking louder then usual.  
"NO! Why would I kill her?! Why would you even ask me that?!" Hijikata yelled back.

"This car ride is taking forever..." I sighed.  
The men fell silent, and I lethargically shifted my gaze between the men.  
"It's only been ten minutes, Rein..." Hijikata spoke in a low tone and the car swerved violently.  
"Gintoki... I'm gonna kill you..."  
I slowly turned my head to gaze at the man in the back seat, and he flashed me a slight smirk.  
"Tell yourself whatever you need to survive..."


	31. The Name

A/N- Rein is unconscious through this chapter, so it's in third person.

* * *

"Her condition is critical...  
A main vein was struck and it took a long time to stop the bleeding, but other then that, it's nothing too bad.  
The main issue is that she was covered in scars, and lost a lot of blood...  
One wrong move and she might not fully recover... Oh, and another thing, do you know what happened to her?"

Hijikata peered at the nurse and shook his head.  
"We found her like that..." The woman nodded, and started away.  
"You can go in and see her if you want." She spoke over her shoulder, before returning her gaze to the clip board.

He entered the room, and as he did three doctors left. Gintoki was in the same room as well.  
"Oogushi-Kun, what did she say?"  
Hijikata sighed loudly before pulling a cigarette from his coat.  
"Rein's lost a lot of blood... Other then that she should be okay."  
Gintoki nodded silently, before pointing to the cancer stick in Hijikata's hands.  
"It's illegal to smoke in here, you know."  
"Shut up." Hijikata was in no mood to hear a lecture from Gintoki.

The silver haired man's injuries weren't bad.  
It was as if he hadn't been hit at all. The only wound he had was on his cheek; from hitting the pavement.  
His arm was also wrapped around the elbow.

"I wonder what she was doing... She was at a terrorist hideout..." Sitting down beside Gintoki Hijikata gazed at Rein.  
The cover of the bed only went up to her chest. One of her shoulders was wrapped up, and she held a slight scowl in her sleep.  
"T-"  
Both of the men sat straight up as she mumbled something incoherent.  
The oxygen machine made it difficult to understand anything, and the constant beep of the heart monitor made them anxious.  
"Damn it, perm, this is you're fault." Crossing his arm, Hijikata averted his sight form the woman.  
"My fault? How the hell is it my fault nicotine freak?"  
"If you hadn't stopped in front of me on the way here, she would have gotten here faster!"  
He wanted somebody to blame. With no clues as to who had caused this, he focused his anger on Gintoki.  
The Yorozura didn't seem to mind though.

"M- Mnnnn..."  
They both peered at the girl as her eyes cracked open.

"Rein? Are you awake?" Hijikata was the first to rise to his feet soon followed by Gintoki.  
They stood over the girl, as she stared off into space.  
She had a dazed look in her eyes, and mumbled something under her breath.  
Gintoki leaned closer to her, in an attempt to understand.  
He couldn't make out the entire sentence, but the one word he did make out was clear.  
Though her speech was lazy, the word, or better yet name, seemed to grip him.

"... Takasugi..."  
He glanced up at Hijikata, his mouth slightly ajar.  
"What? What is it? What did she say?"  
Gintoki shook his head.  
"I don't know."

"She's creepy when she sleeps..." Hijikata noted.


	32. Sadists Help People Too

I was in the middle of darkness again.  
Though it seemed natural I knew something wasn't right.  
I walked in one direction, only to find a cliff at my feet.  
I couldn't see it, rather I could feel it.  
Wind brushed by me, blowing my hair up as I attempted to make something out of the never ending blackness.  
"Rein?"  
My name. Somebody said my name.  
"Who is it?" I attempted to yell in response, but my voice was low, and raspy.  
I barely even heard myself.  
The words were like a ghost on my lips, I could feel them, and I knew I had spoken. But did anybody else?  
"Rein?"  
"I'm here!" Once again my voice was forced, and I couldn't make it any louder.  
Walking back in the direction I had come from I was once again met with a cliff, and strong gusts of air.  
I walked in all the directions I could, but with only a few steps I found I was surrounded with the same thing; A strong breeze and cliff.  
The ground I was sanding on was high ground, and there was no way to escape it.

"It's me- You know who I am."  
"Who?" Amazed that the person could hear me I whispered to them.  
"Who do you think?"  
Peering around the darkness, my eyes settled on a man.  
Or rather the soul of a man. It was pure white, almost silver.  
His form seemed familiar, and he radiated light within the darkness.

"Gintoki- Hgnnn-" My air was cut off.  
Hands.  
There were hands around my neck.  
A sharp breath forced its way into my lungs, and there was no more.  
The room had run out of oxygen and I placed my hands to my throat.  
Nothing was grabbing me. Just me.

"Signs of strangulation."  
An unfamiliar voice echoed around me, followed by a loud constant beeping.  
Falling to my knees I gasped for the breath I so needed.  
"A serious struggle... Deep wounds... Shouldn't move..."  
Who was speaking? Where was the voice coming from?  
I clawed at my neck, and the skin began to peel off. Blood fell to the blackness, and disappeared.  
But not the blood that landed on me.  
I tried to scream. I did scream.

* * *

A loud explosion caused me to inhale sharply and sit up in my bed.  
"Damn it Sougo! Not in the hospital room! You destroyed the oxygen machine!"  
"Opps..."  
My eyes hadn't adjusted.  
Another explosion, caused me to roll out of the way, not realizing that it wasn't directed at me.  
The sound of of something metal dragging along the ground heightened my panic.  
I fell onto the floor, pulling the covers with me, and landed on the cold stone floor.  
"Tchnnn..." Groaning in pain, I tried to raise myself with my arms and knees, not realizing that all eyes in the room were on me.

My shoulder gave out, and I crashed back down.

"Rein, you shouldn't be moving right now..." I peered up over my shoulder surprised to see Gintoki.  
He lifted me up in the cover, and I cringed at the sensation.  
The man placed me back in the bed, and examined the in my arm.  
"You almost pulled them loose..." He noted.  
Gazing past him, I found Okita and Hijikata staring at me.  
Okita held his bazooka, and Hijikata's shirt was burnt black.  
"Oi..." I offered a weak wave, and then nodded to me.

"Where am I?" I shifted my gaze between the three men, waiting for an answer.  
Hijikata was the first to speak.  
"The hospital..."  
My eyes widened, and I sat back up, cringing.  
"Hospital?! I can't afford this!" I stepped onto the ground, ignoring the pain.  
Noticing the cords on the I started to pull them out.  
"Oi! Oi, what the hell are you doing?!" Gintoki and Hijikata yelled in unison.  
Okita on the other hand walked up to me, pulling his sword out.  
He sliced a cord filled with a thick red fluid.  
"Thanks..." I muttered.  
"SOUGO! DON'T HELP HER!" The men shouted once again.  
Okita stared at them before turning to Gintoki.  
"But Boss-"  
"She shouldn't leave." The Yorozura insisted.

Sighing, Okita sat on the bed that Gintoki had been on.

"Sit down." Gintoki pushed me back onto the bed, and I whimpered in pain.  
"What happened to you?" His crimson eyes seemed bore into me as if he already knew.  
"I- I fell out of a window..." It was half of the truth, and he shook his head.  
"Rein do you expect us to believe that? You're cut all over, and stabbed... How did you fall?"  
Hijikata seemed on edge, but he crossed his arms and shifted his gaze, speaking as though it didn't matter.  
Gintoki spoke before he could continue.  
"It doesn't matter how fast or deep you fall. What matters is how you climb back out."  
We all stared at him, waiting to see if he would add any more, but he sat on the bed beside Sougo.

"We cant stay here all day. It's good to see you're finally awake... They already did the first two surgeries.  
You have two more ahead of you, and rehab after that." Hijikata motioned to Sougo, who stood up.

"Rehab? Surgeries? What?" I raised an eyebrow unable to conceal my confusion.

"Yea when you get stabbed the way you were they have to fix it.  
You probably have scars over your wounds where they sewed you up.  
And rehab to retrain your limbs to move properly again." Hijikata stated matter-of-factly.

I peeked under the covers, and was horrified at what I saw.  
"I- I'm naked!" Clutching the covers against myself, I stared at the men alarmed.  
"Where's my sword?" Suddenly panicked I gazed around the room.  
"I have it..." Gintoki motioned to my treasure which was beside his bokken.  
I sighed in relief nodding.  
"And my clothes?"  
All of the men but Okita shifted their gaze  
"They were sullied with blood, so we threw them away." Okita answered in his monotone voice.

I didn't reply, just glanced over the white room again.  
It was plain, and had nothing but a small desk, two beds, and medical equipment.  
Hanging on the wall between the beds was a T.V.  
Hijikata and Okita left, leaving me and Gintoki alone in the room.  
A few hours passed, and we sat in silence. Soon he stretched out on the other bed in the room.  
"Why are you staying?" I raised an eyebrow at the man, and he propped his arms behind his head.  
"Why are _you_ staying?" He echoed, only putting emphasis on the 'You'.  
Squinting my eyes I stared at the man.  
"What do you mean? This is my room..."  
"No it's my room. Sharing is caring." He didn't look at me, just grabbed the remote control from the table beside us.  
It took a moment for me to understand what he was saying, and I slowly sat up being careful not to agitate my injuries.

"Wait, you're staying here too?"  
He nodded, turning the T.V on, and flipping through the channels.  
He stopped at the weather report, and started gushing over the reporter.  
"Ketsuno Ana~ Just in time~"  
The corners of my mouth dropped and my nose crinkled.  
"What?"  
"She's the perfect woman. One day I'm gonna marry her." He stated donning a grin.  
I decided not to ask, just peered at the man oddly.


	33. Hospitals Are Eerie

Night number One.  
I awoke in a daze, wondering what was going on.  
It took a moment before I remembered I was in the hospital.  
Normally I could be comfortable just about anywhere, but the professional atmosphere made things seem eerie.  
The room was dark, and I could hear Gintoki snoring lightly.  
The T.V was still on, but he channel had been changed and the picture was a white and black collage of static.  
After remaining in place for a moment I moved to my feet.  
A dull ache had settled over my body, and I felt incomplete for some reason, but I couldn't figure out why.  
The first thing I did was turn the T.V off. It was creeping me out.

Now the room was completely black.  
I held my arms out to feel my way around.  
I needed to use the bathroom, so I made my way to the only door in the room that wasn't the exit.  
When I flicked the light on, I found a hole-in-the-ground toilet.  
I couldn't squat so low right now, so I decided to ignore the need.  
Leaving the light on I crawled back into the bed.  
A nagging sense of uneasiness crept over me and I sat up.  
I couldn't go back to sleep.  
I needed something to feel safe.  
Peering at Gintoki I shook my head.

_'Relying on somebody else, a man at that, is not wise...'_

The shadows of the room seemed to be longer, and darker then usual.  
I scanned them all until I saw a familiar shape on the ground; my boots.  
Moving across the room, I searched the shoes, and a satisfied smirk curled my lips.  
Nobody had found my dagger, and I would feel much more relaxed with it.  
I laid back in my bed, and stared at the ceiling.  
I still really needed to use the bathroom.  
Sighing in defeat I once again stood up.  
I glanced at Gintoki once before realizing that now was the perfect time to kill him.  
If I wanted to do such a thing it would have to be now, when his guard was lowered.  
I found myself staring at the man contemplating the thought.

_'I could... But it's not fair... I- I guess I'll let him live a little while longer...'_

The man was completely oblivious to the danger he could have been in, but I turned away.  
_'It couldn't hurt - To leave him be... Just this once...'_

Upon dropping my gaze I found that I was still naked.  
Thankful that the man was sleeping I pulled the cover from my bed, and wrapped it around myself.  
I sighed almost silently before walking out of the room.

_'Maybe there's a westernized toilet somewhere around here..?'_

The hallways were just as dark as the room, and I could barely see.  
Only a few lights remained on and I clutched the cover around me.  
I didn't know where the bathroom was and it sounded as if foot steps were behind me.  
Every time I turned to face the noise I found the hall empty.  
Creepy.  
Continuing in the direction I had chosen I came across a colored map of the floor I was on.  
After studying it I found the location of the nearest bathroom and headed towards it.  
The footsteps were still behind me, yet the source of them was invisible.  
I quickened my pace, and ducked into the bathroom once I found it.

* * *

When my business was finished, I contemplated staying in the small room.  
I had a blanket and the halls freaked me out. It was cold, and quiet.  
Any movement, no matter how small, could be heard.  
Summing up my strength I gripped the dagger I had concealed in my blanket.  
'If somebody wants a fight, I'll give them one...'

Nodding to myself I opened the door.  
The moment I stepped outside I heard the footsteps, only louder.  
Prepared to attack I whisked myself around, relieved to find a nurse walking by.  
"Hi!" She sounded cheerful, despite the time of night.  
The woman briskly walked by me, clothed in pale blue scrubs.  
I watched her leave, and let a long deep sigh out.

It was ridiculous to have been on edge, I had completely forgotten about the staff of the hospital.  
When the woman was out of sight I started back to my room. The footsteps reappeared.  
I turned to face them, and found nobody.  
Determined to face the fear that had washed over me once again I stopped, and faced the sound.  
I waited for what felt like an hour, yet they never reappeared.  
_'This is stupid... I should get back to my room...'_

Turning around I bumped into a tall dark figure. Hands clasped around my shoulder and I was met with a menacing grin.  
"Wh- Who-" I was cut off the footsteps reappeared behind me.  
They offered no words before the man behind me revealed a blade.  
Despite the lighting the silhouette was clear.  
The first man held me firmly in place.  
My room was only a few yards away. I knew I couldn't handle this alone.

_'Maybe if I can get to Gintoki-'_  
My thoughts were cut short when the man behind me started towards us.  
Moving as quickly as possible I revealed the dagger and plunged it into the stomach of the man holding me.  
He seemed surprised, and his grip loosened.  
The second man realized what was happening, and I tightened my grip on the handle of the dagger and the blanket around me.  
He was moving too quickly, and I had no chance to escape.  
I moved behind the man I had stabbed and used his as a shield.  
The one I was trying to escape repeatedly stabbed the shield, and I fell over, still holding the man.  
I couldn't help but let out low screams and I moved the man to block every thrash, and scrambled backwards.

"Did you really think you could survive? That you could just walk away?"  
The man's voice was almost a whisper, and I stared up at him, wondering if I could escape, or kill him as well.  
Still weak, I was at a disadvantage, he clearly had the upper hand.  
A door opened and foot steps approached us. The man froze and I peered back to the sound.  
Gintoki was coming to my side clutching his bokken.

"Oi... A wolf hunting a baby is like the wind against a leaf; it's bound to win, unless the leaf is still connected to a tree.  
Man, I wish I had some strawberry milk or something..."  
We both stared at the man squinting.  
Probably trying to decipher his words, or wondering why he would randomly bring up the milk.

_'Is he calling me a leaf? Or a baby? Wait, is he the tree?  
How can babies be connected to trees? Wait, maybe the baby's tree is it's parents... Umm, what?'  
_

__My mind began to race and for a second I forgot what was even happening. Apparently so did the man with the knife.

"I understand that this is the secret to successful fighting...  
Getting your enemy at a disadvantage, and never approaching them on equal terms,  
but this is low, even for somebody like Takasugi..."  
My eyes widened and I found myself unable to shift my gaze from Gintoki.

_'How does he know about Takasugi? Why is he just talking? Why is the attacker actually listening to him?'_

Accepting the fact that none of this made sense, I glanced at the silent man who still held the knife.  
He kicked the body of his partner from over me, and I scrambled backwards, ignoring the pain in my shoulder.  
Just as he drew his knife up Gintoki stepped between us, and started accosting the man with various blows from his bokken.  
I watched the men, surprised at just how skilled Gintoki was.  
He gave the man no time to even hit him and the sound of wood striking bones filled the air.  
Soon the silver haired man turned to face me. He held his hand out to me and as I reached for it, he raised his eyebrow.  
"Not your hand - the blanket! I'll tie him up so the nurses can find him."  
I stared down at the only thing that covered me. It used to be white, but now it was speckled with drops of blood.  
"But- But I'm-"  
"I'm not looking." He stated in his regular husky voice.  
After a second of contemplating whether to believe him or not I nodded.  
I stood up, and pulled the sheet away from myself.  
Using it to block my body from his view I walked to our door.  
When inside I threw the sheet to him and ducked into the bathroom.

* * *

I waited for the man to return before calling out to him.  
"Gin-San, I don't see any more blankets in here..." I groaned the words and he didn't respond.  
Moments later a hand thrust into the bathroom holding his robe.  
"Hurry up." Once again he sounded bored, and he pushed it towards me.  
I stared at it for a moment before accepting the yukata.  
Slipping the fabric over my skin I noticed that it smelled like him; slightly like sweat, and something sweet.  
I couldn't put my finger on what it was, but the combination was pleasing.  
Even stimulating to a certain degree, but I would never tell.

When I returned to the room, despite my hate of the words I lightly bowed to the man.  
"Thank you..." It seemed like those words were being used an awful lot lately.  
That would have to be fixed, but for right now I needed to push my pride aside.

He stared at me oddly from his bed before rolling his eyes.  
"What ever, cut it out."

Scowling I peered up at him.  
"You should be happy I'd even say such a thing to you."  
Leaving it at the I climbed back into my bed, sliding the dagger under my pillow.  
I used his yukata as a blanket, and before I fell asleep again I mumbled to him.  
"Oi, Gintoki..."  
"What?" He was still obviously awake, and the T.V turned on.  
"You smell good..."  
He didn't respond to the unexpected statement.  
The scent seemed to help me get to sleep faster, and I was thankful for the peace.


	34. Hospitals Are Eerie Pt2

The next morning Gintoki told me he wouldn't be staying much longer.  
He said it was his last day and he would return to the Yorozura.  
It was obvious that he wasn't truly hurt, and I still couldn't figure why he had decided to stay here in the first place.  
I stared at the nurse as she pulled a needle from my skin.

"You seem to be healing well! Your blood levels are stabilized, and you can move properly.  
Rehabilitation is a normal procedure when people are badly injured like this, and I think you'll get through it easily."

I peered up at the woman blankly, I wanted to tell her rehab wasn't necessary.  
That I was fine and could go home now, but they insisted on two more surgeries, and the therapy.  
"Okay, you get some rest now~" The woman left the room and I peered at Gintoki.  
He was staring at the T.V, not paying any attention at all.  
There was nothing to do but actually try to get rest, but the moment I closed my eyes a doctor came in.  
"Rein-San, it's time to change your bandages!"  
I nodded and allowed the man to replace some of the gauze.  
Once he started getting too far under the Yukata over me, I stopped him.  
"That's enough, I'm fine."  
He eyed me oddly, before noting the bedding.  
"Where's your sheet?"  
"Oh... my stitches reopened... and I gave it to a nurse last night. She must have forgotten to bring new ones."  
He nodded, and promised to have some brought to me. Moments later he started away.  
"Get some rest - you need it."

I nodded and closed my eyes, pulling Gintoki's yukata back over me.  
After sneaking one more peek and the silver samurai, I attempted to sleep.  
He wore a black shirt and pants with red linings, and his arms were propped behind his head.  
"Rein-San, it's time to take your blood pressure!"  
Sighing loudly I sat up, and let the nurse strap the device around my arm.  
Once finished she exited the room telling me to 'Get some rest'.

I assumed sleeping position once again. After a few minutes I felt myself dozing off.  
"Alright Rein-San, it's time to check your temperature!" A doctor strolled over to me, holding a thermometer.  
I lifted my tongue but he shook his head.  
"It's a suppository." He stated and I scowled.  
"Sir, if you cherish your life, I suggest you write something normal down on that clipboard and leave this room immediately."  
He stared at me for a moment in disbelief.  
"But-"  
"Not a chance in hell!" I sneered, cutting him off. The man sighed loudly, before shrugging and leaving.  
"Get some rest." He called over his shoulder.

Annoyed I laid back down. Just as expected the door opened again five minutes later.  
"Rein-San-"  
"Oi, she's trying to sleep. This isn't a science fair project, where you keep checking the chemical reactions and what not.  
You all keep telling her to sleep, and somebody else comes in - leave her alone." Gintoki spoke up, and I was thankful he had.  
The nurse apologized, and bowed deeply before excusing herself.

* * *

That night it was just as dark as before.  
The nurses had given me new blankets, forcing me to return Gintoki's yukata.  
I had fallen asleep, but the sound of the door opening made me snap awake. Gintoki had left.  
After allowing myself to drift back off, the door opened again.  
Assuming it was Gintoki I didn't pay him any more mind; he probably just needed some water or something.  
The sound of metal sliding along the rail on the ceiling made me open my eyes. The curtain between us was being closed.  
'Gintoki probably just wants some privacy...'  
Nodding at the thought, I closed my eyes again.

The curtain completely secluded my bed, he had stretched it all the way to the wall, causing the area around me to grow darker.  
When a figure stepped past the curtain and started to approach me, I grew nervous.  
I stared at the person, it had to be a man, but it definitely wasn't Gintoki.  
Their hair wasn't curly like his, and was dark.  
"Who the fuck are you?" My voice was low, and I slipped my hand under my pillow, clutching the dagger.  
"You don't die do you?" The chuckle that followed his statement sent a chill up my spine.  
The icy voice could only belong to one person; Takasugi.  
"Why the fuck are you here?" I hissed the words, and he leaned over me.  
"I've been watching you... You can be quite impressive..."  
Without giving him any more time I pulled the dagger from my pillow, and thrust it towards him.  
He caught my wrist and tightened his grip.  
"Ahh..!" Forced to drop the dagger I leaned away from him.  
The sound of the metal crashing to the stone tile filled the thick silence that hung in the air, but only for a second.  
"You shouldn't be moving in such a way right now... It's bad for your injuries..."  
Glaring at the man I found no words to speak. My mind had fallen blank.  
"Do you think I'll kill you? I could... But,"  
His face drew nearer to mine, I clutched the cover around me with my free hand.  
I was still naked, and if he realized the fact it wouldn't be good.  
"Where's the fun in that?" He unexpectedly licked me, from my chin to my ear.

Scowling, I snatched my wrist from his hand.  
He snatched the covers, probably thinking that it would pull me forward, but soon realized my lack of clothes.  
A dark chuckle filled the room, and I slapped him.  
The one eyed man leaned back for a moment, before gripping my hair. he pulled my lips to his, and I pushed against his chest.  
"Taka-" My speech was cut off when his tongue slipped into my mouth.  
A small pill was also exchanged, and before I could react, he pulled back, and held my jaw closed.  
I fell back against the bed, fighting to spit the pill out, but he held my nose.  
It hurt more to struggle, but I couldn't let him win.  
Clawing at his arms a sense of dread washed over me when my body instinctively swallowed the pill.  
I froze wondering what would happen to me.

"We're gonna have fun together... You'll see.  
I understand that you aren't in a position to fight back...  
I prefer my worm wet and wiggling on the hook... It's rather surprising that you're alone in a room though, I'll be back..."

I couldn't see his expression, but he reconnected his lips to mine.  
When I tried to hit him, he pinned my arms on either side of me.  
Kicking my legs didn't seem to help, and his teeth pinched my lower lip.  
A protesting hiss erupted from within me, but his lips muffled the cry.  
His lips migrated from my lips to my neck, and I struggled to squirm away.  
"You will be mine..." I felt his breath on skin, as he trailed his tongue down to my chest.  
His teeth tightened around my nipple.  
"Oww! Fuck you! GET OFF-"  
His hand clamped over my mouth and I used my newly freed hand to smack him.  
The man backed away from me, once again chuckling.  
"Next time I'll remember to bring rope... Even in such a state you don't mind fighting. Heh, how entertaining..."  
He started away from me, and I sat up watching the man.  
"Takasugi- Wait! What the hell was that pill?"  
He held the curtain open, and peered at me over his shoulder, smirking.  
"You'll see... And don't try to throw it up... You'll only make it worse..."  
A sinister chuckle filled the air as he exited the room.

Moments after he left, the door opened again.  
I hadn't been able to lay back down, my heart was racing.  
'Takasugi could have poisoned me, I could be dead in the morning! What am I going to do?'  
Thinking that the one eyed man had returned I rose to my feet and picked up the dagger.

"Oi, why'd you close the curtain?" It was Gintoki, and he slid the curtain back,  
revealing me completely naked and clutching the knife over my shoulder, prepared to stab him.  
without thinking about it I dropped the dagger and hugged the man.  
I was thankful to see him, and completely disregarded the lack of clothes.  
"W-Wh-WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! GET OFF! GET OFF ME!"  
He quickly shoved me back and slid the curtain back closed.  
My face began to burn as I realized why he had reacted in such a manner.  
I squeezed in embarrassment, quickly snatching the sheet off of my bed and covering myself.  
"I- I-" Only able to stammer I silenced myself.  
It took a few minutes for the embarrassment to pass, and I laid the knife under my pillow.  
I pulled the curtain back, and peeked at Gintoki. He was sitting of his bed, cupping his nose.  
There was a plastic bag beside him filled with what looked like milk and candy.  
When he noticed me, he scowled.  
"A woman with no morals is like a window with no pane; pointless and incomplete..."  
"I didn't do it on purpose! I have morals! It was your fault!"  
He stared at me oddly before shifting his gaze to the T.V.  
"Then what were you doing?" He asked, and I couldn't think of an answer.  
I slunk back behind the curtain and laid down.  
"I can't stay here, Gintoki... Please don't leave the room again..."  
The man didn't respond, and I sighed loudly.

An odd sensation had crept over me.  
It was barely noticeable but my body had grown warm, and my heart began to race even faster then before.


	35. The Effects of Getting Naked

I awoke dizzy and lightheaded the next morning.  
During some unknown time I had actually managed to sleep, but now something was wrong.  
Refusing the constant monitoring and care of the doctors and nurses was a difficult task,  
but I had managed to make them leave me in peace after a blood sample.

My body burned and I peeked over at the sheet between Gintoki and myself every so often.  
'_Why is my body so hot... It feels like I'm...'  
_Trying to make sense of what I was feeling, I turned over in the bed.  
It was the sensation of a fever, without the sickness, more like being drunk, but incredibly... Warm.  
Raising myself to my feet, I stumbled over to Gintoki.

"Sakata-san..."  
"What? Don't call me that. Call me Gin-san, or Gintoki, something else."  
Nodding I sat on the bed beside him. "Gin-san... I feel weird..."  
He raised an eyebrow at me, frowning.  
"Like how? You're sweating all over the place too... Don't sweat on my bed!"  
Standing up I began to fan myself with the sheet around my body, and scan the room.  
"I don't know what's wrong with me... I took a pill last night... That a umm, doctor gave me, and-"  
"What did you scream for?" His tone was suddenly serious, and I narrowed my eyes.  
"Scream? I didn't- listen, I got dizzy, and now I'm... So hot!"

Gintoki backed away from me, to the opposite side of the bed, staring at me oddly.  
"Hot?"  
"Yes... I just... It's unbearable! Fix it... Make it stop... How can I cool down?"  
My voice seemed to be nothing but a pant now, and Gintoki appeared to be getting more freaked out by the second.  
Without another word, I began to gather my hair into a bun and unwrap the blanket.

"OI! W-W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Gintoki was now sitting up and against the wall completely.  
"It's so hot..." My face was flushed and I stretched as the cool air slipped under the blanket and to my skin.  
"STOP IT! PUT THE SHEET BACK ON STUPID!"  
"But my body is burning up..."  
I dropped the blanket, causing Gintoki to turn away still yelling for me to stop.  
"WHY WOULD YOU COME OVER HERE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT?"  
"I'm not trying to freak you out. I just thought you might know what's wrong with me..."  
"Yeah, your brains not working, that's what's wrong!"

Loud footsteps approached the room, and Gintoki turned to look at the door, wide eyed.  
I was stepping towards him, as the door knob began to turn.  
Before I knew what was happening my body was shoved back into the curtain between our beds.  
I stepped on it, and pulled it down with myself, landing on the ground tangled in the fabric.

"Oi, Rein-San!" Hijikata's voice filled the room. Before I could answer Gintoki spoke.

* * *

Third person.

"She's not in here... Umm, something about flowers, and a sticker, or something..."

"Flowers? Did somebody send her something? Wait, aren't those her feet?"  
Hijikata pointed to the two feet protruding from under the blanket on the floor.

"No, Those are fake... The nurse collects them."  
"They look real..." Frowning in disbelief Hijikata walked over to the curtain, about to poke the toes.  
"DON'T TOUCH THEM! Uhhh, she'll be mad..."  
Hijikata peered up at the nervous man, scowling.  
"How would she know?"  
Panic crept over Gintoki as he racked his mind for an excuse.  
"No, that's not it... Umm. There's an animal in there! It's rabid! and huge!  
The nurse said she was going to throw them out when she got back... Here, just let me..."  
Jumping out of the bed, Gintoki grabbed the curtain gathering it into a pile.

"I'll throw them out now!" He laughed awkwardly as he made his, way to the door.  
"Wait... It just twitched!" A frown creased Hijikata's eyebrows as he walked to Gintoki's side.  
"No... Um, That wasn't the foot itself...  
She said when it twitches, the animal is about to come out, and search for food!  
You better run! I don't think I can kill it, but I'll stall!"

Hijikata squinted his eyes, not sure how to react.  
"What's wrong with you? What are you hiding?" He poked the bag, watching Gintoki's reaction.  
Rein began to move in the sheet, looking for a way out, and air.  
Lunging towards Hijikata, Gintoki struggled to hold the makeshift bag closed.

"It's coming! Run! I can't hold it much longer! RUN!" He wrestled with the sheet, like an old mountain man,  
fighting against a wild hog for his life. Hijikata froze in place watching him wide eyed.

"What the hell's going on in here?!" He shouted and Gintoki continued to hobble around with the bag.  
"Look, there's Rein! Will you tell her to come here? Hurry, before she get away!"  
Hijikata eyed Gintoki suspiciously before nodding. He peered at the man one last time before exiting the room.

After placing the curtain back on the ground, Gintoki uncovered Rein's head.  
"Do you see what happens when you get naked? Put some damn clothes on, stupid."


	36. Escape

"Clothes? I don't have any..." I peered up at Gintoki, raising an eyebrow.  
"You said you wanted to leave right? Come on..." He helped me up, holding the curtain in place.  
I gripped the fabric, and he walked to a small drawer.  
The Yorozura pulled some medical wrap out of the drawer and walked back to me.  
"Drop the curtain a little, I'm gonna wrap you up..."  
I nodded and revealed my shoulders, still covering my chest. He walked to the door, and locked it.  
"In case Hijikata returns..." The man offered a slight smirk, and proceeded to conceal me.  
"your skin really is warm... Do you have a fever?"  
I shrugged, and held still as he wrapped over one of my shoulders.  
Soon he handed me the gauze.  
"Wrap your hips... Like a skirt..."  
I nodded once again and moved to the bathroom to do as instructed.  
I was still incredibly warm, and dizzy. When I finished I leaned against the cold stone tile on the walls.  
"Are you done?"  
"Yeah..." I panted the response, and he walked in the small room.  
"Here." Gintoki draped his white yukata over my shoulders.  
"If you wear normal clothes nobody will pay you any attention."

He pulled me out of the bathroom and to the door.  
I didn't object, just slipped my shoes on and removed the dagger from under my pillow.  
When I was finished, he peered out of the window on the door, probably checking to make sure the coast was clear.  
Still light headed I studied the man.  
The firm muscles of his arms seemed to beckon me closer, and I could see the outline of his back muscles.  
I draped an arm across his broad shoulders, and he turned to face me.  
"What?" He raised an eyebrow, frowning.  
Despite my hazy vision I could make out the serious expression he held.  
Without a word I leaned into him, and caught his lips.  
The silver haired samurai leaned away from me, and onto the door, but I followed him.  
He uttered a cry of protest, and shoved me back.  
"What the hell are you doing, stupid?!"  
"I- I don't know..." I averted my gaze, and brought my hand to my lips.  
The action had made me feel complete but the moment the contact was broken my body grew warmer then before.  
"You can't do that sort of thing! It's not right! Aren't you always saying you're gonna kill me?!"  
I peered up at the man blankly before nodding.  
"I will."

The man shifted his gaze mumbling under his breath.  
"I always get the crazy ones..."

Gintoki didn't say anything else, just eyed me oddly before unlocking the door.

* * *

We walked through the halls of the hospital and just as he said; the staff paid me no mind.  
They seemed too busy to notice, and I breathed a sigh of relief.  
"Oi, where are you going?"  
Gintoki and I stopped and turned to face Hijikata.  
"She can't stay here." Gintoki stated in a flat tone.  
"Why the hell not?" Hijikata pulled a cigarette from his coat, and peered at us with a hard expression.  
"She's got things to do. Girl things, like cooking, and cleaning, you know; things of that nature."  
Now I gazed at Gintoki wrinkling my nose.  
"She can't leave, the nurse said she has traces of a roofie in her blood right now..."  
Hijikata eyed me oddly, and I frowned.  
_'Is that what this is?'_

Both of the men studied me and I shrugged.  
"I don't do drugs."  
"A weird doctor slipped her something..." Gintoki glanced at me, before turning back to Hijikata.

The men remained silent, and after a moment, Gintoki grabbed my sleeve.  
"Come on..."  
Hijikata didn't try to stop us, he just watched with his arms crossed.

"This is yours?" I stared at the moped that Gintoki had climbed on top of.  
"How did you get it here? Didn't Hijikata bring you to the hospital with me?"  
"Don't ask so many questions, get on." He peered up at me with his dead fish eyes, and I raised an eyebrow to him.  
Instead of voicing my disapproval of his tone, I climbed on the moped behind him.  
Soon he started it up, and we began to move.  
At first I hadn't wanted to hold onto him, but the sensation of riding around made me feel as though I may fall.  
The wind cooled my burning body, and I wrapped my arms around the man.  
Though my body wasn't as hot as before, I still felt weird.  
It was an unexplainable sensation, and without thinking about it, my hands slipped a bit too low.  
"OI! Cut it out! I'm driving!"  
I immediately fixed my position, but found my body moving without my consent.

"Damn it! REIN! What are you trying to do?!" The man jumped at the sensation, and the scooter swerved slightly.  
"Sorry..."

Gintoki hadn't known where I lived, so I had to give him directions.  
The moment we arrived at my apartment, I thanked the man, took my sword, and fled his presence.  
I had no clue why I couldn't control myself, and it was embarrassing.  
Unsure of how I would face the man again, I ducked inside of my apartment.  
Apparently Takasugi had given me a roofie, and while I didn't quite know what the hell that was,  
I knew the effect it had.


	37. Bar-gaining for Friends

"Rein-chan! Rein-Chan!"  
Turning to face the voice, I found Tsu running up to me.  
The sun was setting, and I was walking back to my apartment after having bought a few groceries.  
Earlier in the day I had found a job that paid well, so I had a little extra to spend.  
Now the purple haired pop star had spotted me, and I sighed loudly at the thought of dealing with her.  
The girl excitedly bounced up to me, and I offered her a smirk.  
"It _is _you! I'm so glad we bumped into each other! Tsupo told me you lost your phone, so I couldn't call you. -Bears shitting candles."  
I stared at her oddly before answering.  
"Uhh, yeah... So what do you need?" I asked trying to sound nice.  
"What are you doing tonight? -Shoe box full of hair."  
"Ehh, nothing?" The statement came out as a question.  
"Great! We should hang out! - Dirty paper forks."

I didn't know how to respond to the offer. I stared at the girl oddly.  
"Well, I just remembered-"  
"Come on, I don't get out without my mother around very often...  
I want to have fun like everybody else... - Smelly rosy cereal!"  
The girl grabbed my wrist as she spoke.  
The first half of her sentence was spoken in a low, possibly sad tone.  
But the moment she started spouting the random crap at the end of her sentence, she perked up

Sighing loudly I nodded.  
"Fine... Okay, but you have to drop that weird shit at the end of your sentences."  
Her eyes widened, and a small pout formed on her lips.  
"Alright..."

I offered her a smile, and gestured towards my apartment.  
"Come with me to drop my groceries off first."  
"Okay!" Tsu immediately perked up, and nodded enthusiastically.

* * *

Walking into the bar, I stayed close to Tsu.  
It was packed full of people, and we made our way to the counter to order drinks.  
"What can I get you ladies?" The bartender smiled at them, placing a glass he had been wiping by the sink.  
"Two shots of vodka, please!" Tsu turned to look at me and I frowned at her choice.  
"One for me too? Vodka?" I shifted my grey eyes to the bottle in the barkeeper's hand as he poured the drinks.  
"I don't drink! I was just going to get a soda, or a juice..." Tsu shrugged off my statement as she grabbed the glasses.  
Holding one to me She grinned.  
"One little drink every now and then wont hurt you! Come on, it makes it easier to talk to guys!"  
Sighing in defeat I took the glass from Tsu's hand.

_'She's much more beautiful then me. I should listen to her...'  
_Raising the glass to my lips, I choked the clear liquid down.  
It burnt my throat, and I suppressed the urge to gag, as it settled in my stomach.

"Come on! You can do better then that!" Tsu laughed at the expression on my face.  
Her purple hair bounced with the motion, shining in the dim lighting of the bar.  
I reached up and laced a finger through my own hair.  
A twinge of jealousy crossed my mind, but I quickly pushed the thought away, reminding myself that Tsu was just trying to be my friend.

"Hey, look, it's Gintoki! Do you know him?" Tsu placed a hand on my shoulder, turning me to face the man with white hair.  
"Again?" The word slipped from my lips before I could stop myself, and I glared at the man.  
"Yeah, I know him..." I rolled my eyes and turned away.  
"Do you like him or something?" Scowling at her question, I peered at the girl from the corner of my eyes. A smug smirk formed on Tsu's lips.  
"No... I've just seen him a lot, that's all." I shifted my gaze to a near by pool table, unable to see the devious grin that had twisted Tsu's lips.

* * *

3rd Person-

_'She must like him right? - Camels eating noodles...' _Tsu contemplated if what she was about to do was right.  
_'If he likes her, he would definitely step in... - Frozen fairy chocolate...'  
_After noting how cute that sounded she wished she had said it out loud,  
but after peering at Rein's scary expression she opted not to use it now._  
_

Nodding to herself, she made her move.  
She pushed Rein into a group of men standing around the pool table.  
All she could see was Rein's frantic expression, and hand reaching towards her in a desperate attempt to latch onto something,  
anything to save herself.

* * *

1st person-

Crashing backwards into a large man, I grimaced with pain.  
I had been stabbed in the back with a pool stick, and it was not a very pleasant sensation.

"What the hell, girlie? You messed up our game!"  
I stared up at the man who spoke. He was a tall muscular man, who wore a leather vest, and biker hat.  
He leaned against the pool table, smirking down at me.  
"Excuse me... My friend, over there-" I was quickly cut off by another large man.  
"Oi, Tweezer, I think she likes you!"  
_'Tweezer?'  
_I gazed up at the first man oddly. Raising to my feet, I excused myself once again, turning away, until I felt a tug on my yukata.  
"Hey, the least you could do is give me a little kiss, to make up for your clumsiness."  
The man, known as Tweezer, made kissing motions at me and the guys around us began to laugh.  
"I don't think so... I _said_ it was a misunderstanding... Let go." I started away again, but the man's grip did not loosen.  
"Come on sweetie, just a little peck, c'mere." The man pulled me closer, and I became agitated by his boldness.  
As I was turned around, I smacked him across his face.  
"Let go!"  
The group of men fell silent, as Tweezer straightened himself.  
He stood tall, and my eyes were only level with his chest. I felt my heart drop as he spoke.  
"Bad move, girlie. What makes you think you can get away with that?  
You actually just hurt my feelings." The man clutched his heart causing the group to laugh at him; all seeming to loom over me.

I was still not fully recovered, and had been trying to avoid fighting. But if this man insisted on being an idiot...

I raised an eyebrow at the man, who was attempting to intimidate me.  
It was working, and with every passing second I grew more angry at Tsu for causing this.  
_'What the hell was she thinking?'_

Not knowing what to expect next, I knew I had to move quickly while they were busy laughing at me.  
I shoved a man who was standing to my right, causing him to stumble back, and trip over another man.  
Seeing an opening I turned to escape to the bar, but a firm hand clasped around my wrist.  
"A fighter, eh?" It was, of course, Tweezer.  
I placed my hand on the handle of my sword, but before I could unsheathe it we were interrupted.

"Oi..." A low annoyed voice came from beside me, and I turned to find the source.  
Gintoki had approached the group of men, placing his hand on ones shoulder.  
"I actually paid for my drink tonight... My sake..."  
Without another word he snatched a bokken from his waist,  
and began to knock every man in sight down.  
Multiple men charged at him, with knives, and solid fists,  
but could barely land a finger on him before they hit the ground.  
I gripped my blade, but found that it would be no good.  
Gintoki was already finished.  
"You idiot, what the hell are you doing hanging out with these guys?"

I shook my head at his question.  
"I wasn't, my friend-" I turned to find Tsu, but the girl was no where in sight.  
Turning back to him I dropped my head. "Thank you..."

He raised an eyebrow at me.  
A blank expression crossed my face as I gazed up at him.  
"Well, silver perm-" He cut me off, oblivious to the fact that I had been drinking.  
"Oi, don't you see anything else, other then hair?!"  
"No." For a second I felt like laughing, but I fought the urge.  
"Gin-San-"

"What the fuck?!" He raised his voice, to an unexpected tone.  
We stared down at his leg, where a small red stain had appeared in his white yukata.  
He had been stabbed with an unnaturally large pair of _tweezers_.  
A gruff tone sounded below us.  
"NOBODY FUCKS WITH TWEEZER, AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!"  
The man lifted himself up, with his free hand, and prepared to tweeze the hell out of Gintoki.  
Gintoki grunted in pain, as he skillfully dodge the oncoming flurry of needle nosed pain.  
Jabbing at the man with his bokken, he caused the man to slump back to the ground, in a pile of defeat.

I rushed to his side, looking at the wound.  
"Are you okay? Is it bad? What happened to your face?"  
He shook his head, a stream of blood coming from his mouth, and hair for no apparent reason.  
"Gracie, tell Dylan not to sit too close to the T.V..." With that he fell to the ground, and I stared at him oddly.  
_'Who the fuck are Gracie, and Dylan?'_

With no other choice I grabbed his arm, placing it around my shoulder, and raised him up.  
_'Why the hell is this guy so heavy? He doesn't look that big!'_

Seconds later Tsu came up to me. "Wow! That was crazy! Like some anime or something! What are you gonna do with the body?"  
Glaring at my outspoken acquaintance I sighed.  
"He's not dead, and I'm not stashing his body anywhere. Give me a hand, will you?"  
Nodding Tsu moved underneath Gintoki's other arm.


	38. The Reluctant Helper

Tsu and I walked for a while in the direction of my apartment.  
The girl quickly got distracted with her cell phone, and started talking to somebody.  
I tried my best to ignore her, and focus on getting Gintoki somewhere I could take him.  
It was already late, and I didn't want to show up at the Yorozura at such an hour (Past Ten at night).  
Tsu angrily hung up her phone.  
I hadn't noticed that she had been arguing with somebody, but soon she stopped helping me carry Gintoki altogether.

"Oi! Otsu-Chan! Otsu! Oh my god, it is her!"  
An excited voice a few meters behind us caught our attention and we turned to face the source.  
Tsu waved excitedly, and walked over to her fans.  
The sound of something dropping slightly startled me.  
Upon further inspection I found that it was the pop star's phone.  
"Tsu-San, your cell phone!" I called to her, and she peered at me over her shoulder.  
"Oh, will you just hold it for a second? - panthers scratching bananas!"  
She had started the weird thing again, and I sighed loudly before nodding.  
I started to pick the phone up but realized it would be more difficult then anticipated.  
With Gintoki as dead weight, it was more likely that I would fall over, then be able to retrieve the metallic pink device.

I gazed at the man on my shoulder wondering what the hell had happened to him in the first place.  
He looked peaceful while he slept, if it wasn't for the blood I wouldn't know anything was wrong at all.  
I had to shift our weight in an odd way in order to grab the phone and I waited for Tsu to finish.  
She was signing an autograph and taking pictures. As I grew impatient a car pulled up beside her.

"Tsu! I've been looking for you everywhere! Why would you leave without telling me?! Get in the car!"  
It was the voice of an older woman, and Tsu looked like a deer in headlights.  
"But mom!" The woman quickly cut her off, and started nagging.  
Tsu's shoulders slumped as she obliged and soon, I was left alone, holding Gintoki.

Peering up at the man once more I sighed loudly.  
_'Damn it, I guess he has to come home with me...'  
_Thought I didn't want to spend any money I decided to hail a Taxi.

* * *

When I reached the stairs of my apartment building I gazed up to the dim light above.  
"I guess you're not gonna help me are you?" Though Gintoki was still out, I spoke to him.  
It was obvious that I wouldn't get an answer, but I wanted to stall ascending the steps.  
Just then an annoying song made me jump.  
It was Tsu's cell phone, and it had been doing that - nonstop - since she left.  
Though it was repetitive, I couldn't get used to it.  
The thought of being bothered any time somebody thought of me was unsettling.  
I didn't understand how she could put up with such a thing.

After the excruciating journey up the stairs, I finally made it to my door.  
I walked inside, and laid Gintoki on the couch. When finished I _had_ to stretch.  
The walk seemed to take forever, and my shoulders ached from the extra weight.  
The cellphone rang again, and I decided to answer it, just to tell whoever it was that Tsu had forgotten it.

"Hello?"  
"Rein-Chan! You finally answered! I completely forgot my phone, just hold on to it for now; we can meet up later, okay? - Dirty fuzzy bricks."  
It was Tsu, obviously.  
"Yeah... Tsu-San - What the hell were you thinking, shoving me into those men like that?!"  
Unable to contain myself, I skipped the small talk, and cut to the chase.  
"What? Why so mean? I just did you a favor, that's all! - Cotton candy blankets."

"A favor? How is pushing me into a biker gang a favor? Some weirdo named Tweezer tried to kiss me!"  
I waved my arm as I spoke, as though Tsu could see me.  
"Well, Gintoki helped you. Aren't you glad? - Moldy tea pots!"  
Tsu was laughing at me, obviously not paying attention to the fact that I was pissed.

"I guess... but now he's in my house-" I was quickly cut off, by Tsu's giggle.  
"Well that was fast! Good job I'm proud! Now you give him a night to remember, you naughty girl, you!"  
The last thing I heard was laughter, before Tsu hung up on me.

_'Damn it! This is all her fault! Now she thinks I'm...' _Gazing at the man's sleeping figure, I shook my head, and closed the phone.  
_'I would never sleep with somebody like that! He's weird, and rude! I'm supposed to kill him, and he calls me an idiot!' _

After a moment of contemplation, I decided to wrap his leg up, and clean the blood from his face.  
Upon further inspection I found a gash near his hair line.

_'That's odd...'_

* * *

Later on that night I walked back to the living room, planning to snack on some left over food from my dinner.  
I was still slightly drunk, and stumbled a little along the way.  
When I reached the room, I gazed at the couch, only to find Gintoki; sitting up and eating a pack of my favorite cookies.  
When he noticed me, he fell back on the couch and groaned with pain.

"HEY! I saw you! Give me my cookies back! What the hell do you think you're doing?"  
I lunged at him intent on grabbing the cookies; but he was too fast.  
He rolled over, and I fell on top of him instead.  
He uttered a cry of pain, and shoved me to the floor.  
Sitting up I grabbed my head.  
"What the hell is wrong with you?"  
The man peeked at me from the corners of his eyes.  
"I got stabbed, shouldn't you be a little more sympathetic?"

"Well aren't you at my house? I wrapped you up, and took care of your wounds, if that's not sympathetic I don't know what is."  
I rose to my feet, crossing my arms.  
"So you wrapped my leg up?" He narrowed his eyes at me, raising another cookie to his lips.  
I nodded at him silently, as the sound of the cookie snapping in half filled the air.  
"Well doesn't that mean you had to take my pants off? Isn't that sexual harassment?"  
He spoke with his mouth full, and I scowled at his statement.

"Sexual harassment my ass! I was doing you a favor!"  
He peered up at me, an unconcerned expression on his face.  
"Oh really?"  
I continued to glare at him, waiting for him to speak again. When I realized he wouldn't I decided to fill the silence.

"You fell in the bar, so I brought you to my place... I didn't expect you to fall from such a small wound though.  
You held your own against me, and you swing that bokken around like you know what you're doing."  
I shifted my weight to my right leg, tightening my crossed arms.

"Something that small wouldn't hurt me, stupid!" He stood up and walked to my refrigerator, searching the shelves.  
"Do you have any strawberry milk?"

Frowning I walked over to him.  
"What the hell are you doing in my fridge? No I don't have strawberry milk...  
That stuff isn't exactly good for you; especially with all of the sugar it has in it."  
He grabbed a container of milk and a pack of strawberries, and stared down at me with a blank expression on his face.  
"I got stabbed because of _you_. have a little respect."

"You keep saying that, but I didn't tell you to step in!  
If anything, it was because of my... Acquaintance... She pushed me into those men."  
Snatching the milk out of his hand, I put it back in the refrigerator.

"Oi! So you get me hurt and then try to starve me? What kind of a sadist are you? You just lost a point."

"A point?" I stared up at him confused.

"Yeah, the first one you lost was when you insisted on fighting me, and got stabbed.  
The second one was when you took too long to pull me up,  
and the third was when you were hanging out with those guys, and now this one.  
Do you really want to risk losing any more?" Gintoki's lips twisted into a smug smirk, and my expression turned to a glare.

"What the hell should I care about your stupid point system?  
If anything you lost points for being rude, and weighing too much!  
Do you know how hard it was to get you here? I think the cab driver suspected date rape or something..."  
I shifted my gaze to the wall over the counter top beside us.

"You probably weigh more then me. Here let me see..." He grabbed the tip of my finger, and examined it closely.  
"125 KG..."  
"WHAT?!" I snatched my hand away from him, wide eyed.  
"No way! You're way off! What the hell does my finger have to do with anything?"

Laughing at me, he reopened the refrigerator. Annoyed I turned away.  
"What ever... If you're going to raid my fridge, just keep your hands off of my fruit..."  
With that I turned away but he grabbed my wrist, turning me back to him.  
My breath caught in my chest as I was whisked around.  
The image of my inappropriate kiss was still fresh in my mind.

I stared up at him, my heart beating wildly.  
He was so close to me I could almost feel his breath on my face - it smelled sweet.  
_'What is this dumb ass doing? Why am I so nervous?' _

"You mean saving you isn't enough to eat your fruit?"  
Staring at him wide eyed I let out a small sigh.  
For some reason I had expected more, and now a feeling of disappointment crept over me.  
"Umm... Fine... Have it."  
I pulled away from him, and quickly walked away.  
When I was in my room,  
I tried to breath slowly in an attempt to calm myself down..  
_'What is wrong with me?'_

* * *

**A/N: Just for people who don't know, 125 kg is equivalent to 275.58 pounds.**  
**I try to use metric meter measurements, due to the fact that America is the only country I know of that uses feet, pounds, yards, etc.  
For those of you who haven't checked out Noniebee's Reuniting With The Lost, I suggest you do - it's gets better with every chapter! :D  
(The ID# is 8747858) Her other story is equally awesome as well.  
_  
_**

**_One more thing, I love feed back!  
So if anybody wants to critique my story, suggest anything,  
or even just tell me that you like/hate it - I would love to read your opinions. :)_**


	39. Caught in the Act

The next morning I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling.  
Bright rays of light were cast across the wall, stretching over the room and to the window.  
Standing up I stretched and walked to the bathroom, to brush my teeth.  
When I finished I made my way to the kitchen, to prepare breakfast for myself and the idiot on the couch.

After the food was ready I returned to the living room, to check on the silver haired samurai.  
I could see him from the kitchen, and he was still asleep.  
I grabbed a small bag of medical supplies, and knelt beside him to change his bandages_.  
'He said something this small wouldn't affect him, I wonder if something else is wrong?'_  
Pulling his pants down, I cut through the gauze, and cleaned the area.  
He stirred slightly and I froze, being careful not to awaken him.  
After a few seconds, I continued to wrap a fresh tourniquet around his leg.  
As I returned his pants to their original position, I found his shirt was slightly pushed up.

My pulse quickened, and I wondered if I should indulge myself even just a little bit_.  
'I shouldn't...' _I stared at the bit of skin that peeked at me from under the material of his shirt.  
It seemed to be muscular, and I shook my head.  
'_I really shouldn't...'  
_Crossing my arms I looked away._  
'This is stupid...'  
_I shifted my gaze to the kitchen trying to think of something else to do, yet I couldn't help but steal another glance.  
_'He won't know...'  
_Sliding a finger over his skin I gently pulled the shirt up, surprised to find another wound across his abs.  
_'This must have been what got him... He should have told me_...'  
Before could grab the gauze, a hand clasped around mine.  
The grip was firm but soft and Gintoki leaned up to look at me.  
"Didn't I tell you that was sexual harassment?"

A startled cry parted my lips.  
Pulling away from him I scrambled back, wide eyed.  
"Don't do that!" I clutched my heart, panting.  
"Why are _you_ so worked up?" Gintoki sat up and scratched his head, yawning.  
"Why didn't you tell me you were awake?"  
Shifting my gaze, I stared at a bag of medical supplies I had placed between his legs.  
"And why didn't you tell me you had another injury?" I narrowed my eyes at him and he shrugged.

"This little thing? This can't be considered an injury. It's more of a pin prick."

Rolling my eyes, I motioned to the bag. "Gin-San, hand the the thing between your legs please."  
"Don't you think it's a little soon for that?" He raised an eyebrow at me, smirking.

"Damn it! Shut up!" Embarrassment shot through me, and I felt a blush threaten to make an appearance.  
He had just caught me.  
While I was stealing a glance at his body.  
And I had no clue how to play it off.

Standing up I clutched the collar of my yukata over my heart - which was racing as quickly as my mind.  
I could tell that I looked incredibly guilty, but the expression wouldn't fade.  
"Weren't you just ogling me like a crazed school girl, or something?"  
He was still grinning in self satisfaction and I shot him a menacing glare.  
"NO! I- I would never- I'm still gonna kill you, make no mistake about that!"

He laughed at me, and I growled in frustration.  
"When you heal, I will have your head!"  
"Really? Then why haven't you attacked me yet?"  
The Yorozura's expression fell blank, an I shifted my gaze around the room.  
"I- You- Well... Eh, We've both been hurt, and- It's not fair to fight in such a condition..?"  
The statement came out as a question, and he shook his head.  
"Being hurt didn't stop you before..." His eyes seemed to pierce my body, and I refused to look at him.  
When revenge is involved, that sort of thing doesn't matter..."

I peered at him, wide eyed.  
Not only had I been caught physically, but he was now playing some weird mind trick on me.  
It was true that I had intended to kill him,  
but the more I saw of him the more I grew to appreciate, and even enjoy his company.  
Though we seemed very different, he didn't seem to mind.  
And even when I did attack him, he never tried to strike me back.  
It was odd, for lack of a better word, but I couldn't tell him that.

Feeling as though I had been backed into a corner, I reacted in the only way I could think to; more anger.  
I still held a pair of small scissors in my hand, from changing his gauze.  
The moment I realized it, I tightened my grip on them.

"You seem to like me. Despite your whole 'killing' dilemma."  
He still spoke in a flat tone, and the expression had fallen from his face.  
The boldness of his statement cause my breath to catch.  
His eyes met mine, and I found myself unable to respond or move.  
It took a few seconds for me to regain my composure, but when I did, I scowled at him.  
"N- No. I don't!"  
"A lie is like a trap you set for yourself..."  
His voice was devoid of emotion, and it only succeeded in making me even more nervous.

I threw the scissors at him and told him to wrap himself up.  
As I fled his presence for the umpteenth time, he called out behind me.

"The mirrors of a carnival don't actually show you what you look like - once you walk past them you're still the same as before you approached them."


	40. Store Clerks are Psychics in Disguse

"How did it go? I hope you didn't get hurt..."  
A new day had started, and I left Gintoki at my apartment while I went to work.  
For some reason he didn't seem to have any intention to leave, and it puzzled me, but I didn't comment.  
Now I was working. I had just finished a small revenge job. It was simple enough; get in, kill the target, get out.  
Peering up at my employer I offered a small smirk.  
"My injuries are nothing compared to his..."  
The statement seemed to please the man, and he handed me my payment.  
In exchange, I gave him the victim's eye.

After a small conversation I left the building and headed to a nearby shop.  
I had never been inside of this particular store before, and the woman at the counter gave me the creeps.  
It was oddly dark, and smelled of incense and fresh produce.  
At first glance the store would appear to be a gas station, but it did not sell gas. At all.  
The closest thing to gas you would find in this kind of store was lighter fluid. And that would get your car no where.

As I walked the isles of the store, I grabbed a few small things I needed: Veggies, juice, and other things of that nature.  
Passing by the glass doors of the cooler my gaze settled on a few small bottles of strawberry milk.  
'He's always talking about this stuff, right?'  
I opened the doors, and grabbed a plastic bottle. After a moment of contemplation I decided to buy a few for the lazy samurai.  
'Just to shut him up...'  
I told myself that was the only reason, but deep down it was obvious that it was a lie.  
The aroma in the store compelled me to buy a pack of incense, so I also grabbed a pack. They were bamboo scented.

Finally finished I approached the counter and laid my items on the counter.  
It looked like more then it actually was, and she began to bag the things.  
She remained silent when I asked her to add a pack of cigarettes, and even when she had finished totaling everything up.  
Her gaze sent a cold chill down my spine, and when I grabbed my bags she finally spoke.  
"Child, danger comes your way. You must prepare."  
I flashed her an alarmed expression, not quite sure how to react.  
"What? What do you mean?"  
She didn't move, or shift her gaze as she replied.  
"They know where you are... You have a serious decision to make; and you will lose your life if you make the wrong choice. Now go."

I eyed the woman oddly, not sure what to make of her words.  
Minutes passed and we stared at each other, still quiet.  
Soon a black cat jumped on the counter of the store beside her, and she lovingly pet the animal.  
Seeing that I would get no more information out of the woman I left.

* * *

"What kind of a care taker are you? You left me here by myself all day, and you don't even have a TV!"  
The moment I walked through the door Gintoki started with me.

"Shut up, I'm an adult; I can come and go as I please."  
He sat on the couch holding a thick JUMP book in his hands.  
I walked to the kitchen and laid the bags on the counter.  
"Why haven't you left yet? I could kill you at any time you know..."  
Peering at the man I was met with a slight smirk.  
"You can't kill me."  
He had averted his attention to the book, and I scowled at his statement.  
The paper bag had begun to grow wet from condensation and I put the groceries in their rightful place.

Gintoki hadn't spoken any more and I grabbed a container of milk.  
On my way to the room I threw it into his lap. He peered up at me, but I didn't offer any explanation.

The woman's words were still bothering me.  
Hours had been spent contemplating what she meant, or who she was talking about.  
Night had fallen and I decided to go to sleep.  
Gintoki hadn't bothered me again, and I assumed he was still wrapped up in reading his JUMP.

The sound of my door caused me to stir slightly.  
Footsteps approached my futon, and I pretended to sleep.  
It was obviously Gintoki. When he neared my bed he stubbed his toe on a small table and started swearing under his breath.

"What are you doing?" My voice was laced with sleep, and he knelt down beside me.  
"Well, I just- Umm..." An awkward silence filled the air, and I waited for him to answer me.  
"There's a fly on your face... I couldn't sleep with the sound, and chased it in here."  
With that he pulled his hand back, and quickly smacked my unsuspecting forehead.  
Crying out in a mixture of 'What the fuck did you do that for?' and 'Why the fuck are you crouching over me in the dark?'  
I sat up and shoved him back. He landed on the ground with a loud thump, suddenly angered.  
"Whats wrong with you?! You don't just shove people who are injured like that!"  
"I could ask you the same thing! You're being creepy, and you just smacked me! I'm inured!"  
The room was engulfed in darkness, but once my eyes adjusted I could see Gintoki's silhouette beside me.  
He was clutching his abs, probably assuming I couldn't see him.

"Did I hurt you?" Rolling onto my knees I reached towards him, placing a hand on his forearm.

"Yeah right! It takes a lot more then _that_ to hurt me!"  
His voice was smug, even boisterous, but still not convincing enough to stop me from checking.  
"So it definitely wouldn't hurt you if I did this?"  
Firmly pacing a hand on his torso, I tried to make out an expression on his face.  
Sharply inhaling, Gintoki shook his head. "Of course not!"

"What about this?" I ran a finger down the length of the medical wrap around him.  
"Nope..!" He was obviously lying, but I didn't see a reason to call him on his bluff.  
I wanted to sleep, and if I acted like I believed him, I wouldn't have to take care of him.  
"Alright! I'm just glad your feeling better!" I patted his stomach, and laid back down.  
He remained silent for a moment, probably not knowing how to respond. Soon I heard him mumble something under his breath and leave.

_'What the hell was he doing?'  
_

* * *

The next morning I walked into the kitchen, surprised to find the man awake.  
"Oi, do you have any essentials here? Like towels? I wanna take a shower."  
I glanced at him over my shoulder before nodding.  
'So I was right, towels are the essentials!'

When I handed the man a towel he left the room and I continued to prepare breakfast.  
While the rice was cooking I peered into the refrigerator.  
_'He seems to like strawberries... Maybe if I just cut a few up...'_

About an hour later the man returned to the room, redressed.  
It seemed odd, as I had expected him to have the towel on or something equally sweat inducing, but I was relieved.  
He threw his old clothes on the couch, and I stared at him oddly. Two pairs of the exact same thing.  
"Where did you-" He cut me off, knowing what I would ask.  
"I got extra clothes yesterday, while you were gone."  
I squinted my eyes at him, still slightly confused.  
"So you went to your home?"  
He nodded, and sat down on the sofa.  
"And you grabbed your clothes, and came back?"  
He nodded once again, but now I scowled.  
_"WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU STAY THERE?!"_  
He didn't seem fazed bu my yelling, just reopened his issue of JUMP.  
"Because, you got me hurt. So you take care of me."

I rolled my eyes at the man, still frowning.  
"_YOU_ got yourself stabbed with a pair of tweezers, I had nothing to do with whatever else happened to you."

"Oi, don't try to down play it! Did you not read what the author wrote?  
It was an _unnaturally large_ pair of tweezers, not just any old run-of-the-mill, sitting on your counter at home,  
bathroom pair that you use to dig stuff out of your face with!  
This pair was designed to kill people! For a gang member _named_ Tweezer!  
It was his special weapon! He probably had it forged at mount doom and some hobbits are trying to destroy it now..."

I gazed at the man intently not sure of how to respond.  
He was right. That was what the author wrote.  
Sighing in defeat, I carried a plate to him. It wasn't much, but he seemed satisfied; even thanked me.

_'Why the hell am I feeding the enemy?! This is wrong on so many levels... _  
_I should yell at him again or something - so he doesn't get the wrong idea. _  
_Or smack the plate out of his hands, and laugh evilly... Oh, it probably wouldn't work... _  
_he'd just walk to the stove, and get more. Then I'd be stuck cleaning up... Damn it!'_

"Oi. What the hell are you staring at me like that for?" Gintoki peered up at me, and I focused my eyes on his.  
I hadn't realized that I was staring, and quickly turned away.  
"It's nothing... Tell me again, why the hell are you staying here?"  
Having polished off the plate he leaned back against the couch, and crossed his arms.  
"Because it's your fault. You want to fight me right?"  
My expression grew uneasy and I nodded.  
"Yeah..."  
"Well, I'll fight you."

Unable to contain my astonishment, my eyes widened.  
"Y- You- Really?" I wasn't sure whether to be thrilled or upset, but an undeniable air of discomfort surrounded me.  
It was true that this whole time I had been focused on ridding myself of him,  
but now that I had spent time with the man, and we had spoken I didn't really want to risk killing him.  
I wanting him to be around me more, but for what I couldn't tell you.


	41. Fighting is a Form Of Indulgence

Silence fell over us, and I shifted my gaze.  
The atmosphere in the room was so thick that it seemed like even breathing would shatter the quiet.  
"You should wrap me up first." The Yorozura's gaze met mine, and I sighed.  
"Right now? We're going to do it now?" The hesitation must have been obvious in my voice, and he raised an eyebrow at me.  
"Having second thoughts? Maybe you actually do like me..."  
I glared down at the man, still not wanting to admit my growing fondness towards him.  
"Take your fucking clothes off..."  
He laughed at me, and it took a moment for me to figure out why. The statement hadn't sounded so dirty in my mind.

Ignoring the man, I grabbed the bag of medical supplies from the table in front of him.  
He pulled his yukata off, and unbuttoned his shirt. The moment he did, I averted my gaze.  
Being caught again was not a pleasant thought, so I tried not to look at all.  
"Oi... What the hell are you doing? You didn't even wrap my wound..."  
Upon further inspection I found he was right. I had wrapped his chest, not his abs.  
"Erm, I- I meant to do it like this... If I just..." I pulled the wrap down and he grunted in pain.  
"See? It fits perfectly!"  
Gintoki glared at me, and I shifted my gaze.  
"Sorry..." The words were just a murmur, but he nodded in response.

When I finished, he stood up, and grabbed his bokken from the wall beside the couch.  
"Are you ready?"  
I tilted my head to the side, wondering if this was really what I wanted.  
"Should we do this now? You're still hurt, and..." My voice trailed off, and he shook his head.  
"This is what you want right? You're hurt too, so we're even."  
I stared at him silently for a moment before nodding.  
"Let me get my sword..."

On the way to my room, my mind began to race faster then before.  
'What If I hurt him? What if he actually dies? Why is he doing this?'  
I grabbed my blade and returned to the living room. Gintoki was waiting for me, facing the hallway.  
"Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're a girl... Dying takes too much effort."  
I peered at the man and offered a slight nod.

Once again we stood in silence, and it became obvious that neither of us wanted to start.  
"What are you waiting for? Don't you want your revenge? Are you too scared?!" He growled the words,and I shook my head.  
"No, I'm not..."  
"Then why are you hesitating? This is what you want right? You've been waiting for this moment since we met; waiting for me to fight you back."  
Shifting my gaze, I tightened my grip around the handle of my sword.  
"Yeah..."

"Then hurry up. I've got things to do, and milk to drink."  
Glaring at the man I willed myself to begin the fight.  
It was true that I had been waiting for this moment, yet at the same time,  
now that it was right in front of me I didn't want to take the opportunity.  
Clearing my mind, I allowed myself to grow numb to the situation; to him.  
I took a deep breath, and started towards the man quickly swinging my blade.  
He blocked me, and pushed me backwards.  
To my surprise he actually did try to strike me back, and it was more difficult to block him then to try to land a blow.

Once we started it seemed we would never stop.  
There was no hesitation in our movements, and we forced each other in defensive stances whenever we found an opening.  
There was no talking, it was almost as if we had never spoken or met each other.  
Low growls and grunts of effort from both of us filled the air, accompanied with the sound of our weapons clashing.  
I forced him back against a wall, and he ducked out of the way before I could stab him.  
Turning to face the man, I was met with an unanticipated swing to the face.  
I backed against the wall just before it made contact with me.  
He seemed to be a completely different person while he was fighting.  
His expression was dark, and he seemed more masculine; determined.  
Ducking down I evaded a jab towards my neck, and his bokken went into the wall.  
He pulled it out, and forced me to block a flurry of attacks.  
I backed towards the hallway, and he struck my wrist.  
Immediately I dropped my sword, and moved away from the man.

Making it to the hallway I pulled my dagger from my boot wondering how I could get close to him.  
He slowly followed after me, and I felt myself growing increasingly nervous.  
Without a word he swung at me, and I backed against the wall.  
He didn't stop approaching me, and I let out a yelp as his bokken jabbed straight at me.  
I couldn't move fast enough but it crashed into the wall beside my head.  
Frozen in place the thought that he could have killed me echoed in my mind.  
I stared at the man fearfully and he spoke.  
"You're dead..."  
Scowling I swung the dagger. He skillfully evaded the attack, and tightly grabbed my wrist.

The fringe of his hair cast a shadow over his eyes, and he pinned my arm against the wall.  
"Do you still want to kill me?"  
I still stared at him, and his eyes met mine.  
He didn't wait for a response, just brought his lips to mine.  
The action only further stunned me, and I didn't know how to react.  
My first response was to push him away, but he didn't budge.  
He released his bokken, and snaked is newly freed arm around the small of my back, pulling me closer.  
Despite my pushing against him he didn't stop.  
My grip on the dagger loosened and it dropped to the ground beside us as he moved his hand to the back of my neck.

"Gintoki- What-" My words were cut off by his lips, and I shoved him away.  
The wall opposite of me caught the man, and he leered at me with an odd spark in his eyes.  
"Why are you pushing me away? I know you want to..."  
He moved back towards me, and I studied his expression.  
When he was near me again, he looked as though he would reconnect our lips.  
Without thinking about it, I shoved him away again, but he grabbed my yukata and pulled me with him.  
"Why are you doing this?" I peered up at the man who leaned against the wall, still holding my collar.  
I was propped against him, as I had used my arms to steady myself, and grip his shirt.  
"Because I want to."  
He leaned into me, once again warping his strong arms around my body.  
I pulled away, but he held me firmly against himself.

My mind fell blank, and before I knew it I was returning his kiss.  
Moving quickly he pushed me backwards against the wall beside his bokken.  
I gripped his shirt, pulling him against myself and the kiss seemed to grow more passionate.  
Access was granted beyond our lips, and a sweet taste danced onto my tongue  
The Yorozura dropped his yukata to the floor, and also tugged mine from my shoulders.  
It fell to the bends of my arms, and as his hands began to roam over my body my heart began to race.  
A slight moan escaped me causing me to feel embarrassed.  
Though there were still clothes between us, I grew nervous and broke the kiss off.  
"What are you-"  
"Stop thinking..." He crashed his lips back to mine, and pulled me tightly against himself.

He began to unbutton his shirt, and the skin of his chest peeked at me from under the fabric.  
When there was only a few more buttons left he started to focus on my clothes, and I panicked.  
"Wait-" He didn't seem to hear me, and continued to pull at the fabric.  
"Gin-" The words were muffled by his lips, and I leaned away from him.  
Finally finding the tie of my hada-juban he pulled it open, and when I felt the air against my skin I shoved him away.  
"Wait!"

He stared at me frowning and I felt my face flush.  
"We cant- I- This isn't..." At a loss for words, I averted my gaze.  
"You're moving so fast, and-" My thoughts were erratic and I couldn't focus on just one.  
He watched me for a second before looking away as well.  
"Sorry..." His voice was low and when I gazed at him I found he was blushing just as badly as I was.  
Awkwardness had enveloped me, and I found nothing to do or say.  
We remained in silence, and I pulled my hada-juban closed.  
I didn't wait for him to speak again, just fled his presence; he didn't try to stop me.  
The Yorozura remained in the hallway not moving or speaking.

When I was in my room I closed the door behind myself and leaned against it,  
trying to make sense of what just happened, and why I had returned his gesture.  
The only thought that I could be sure of was the fact that I was glad he hadn't been killed; it would have been difficult to clean up.


	42. Let's Hang Out!

Leaning against my door, I attempted to make sense of what had just happened.

_'He kissed me... Why would he do that? We were supposed to kill each other... '  
_My mind was racing almost as quickly as my heart.  
_'How am I supposed to react to that? What do I do now? How should I act around him? What was he thinking?'_  
Questions flooded my head too fast to answer, and I stared at the plain white ceiling.  
_'He tried to undress me... Was he trying to..?'  
_The thought of going any farther with him caused my face to burn brighter then it already was.  
_'I've never even considered doing something like that! I- I don't even know how I feel about him!'_

Just then an annoyingly cheerful tune interrupted my internal state of panic.  
It was Tsu's phone, and I took a deep breath to calm myself before I approached it.  
The pink device was beside my futon, and I picked it up and quickly answered it.  
"Moshi Moshi?"  
"Rein-Chan! I'm so glad you answered! - metal doughnut corpse!  
So It sounds like you're getting a hang of having a phone, you should get one, and we could keep in touch. - smelly porcupine!"  
I didn't quite know what to say. I was still flustered from the scene in the hallway not even ten minutes ago.  
Instead of answering her I remained silent.  
"Rein-Chan? Rein-Chan? Are you there?- Funny looking necks.  
"Oh, umm, yeah... I'm still here... So, Tsu-San, when can I give you your phone back? Can we meet up?"  
A small gasp sounded on the other side of the phone. She was obviously surprised I had asked her to see me.  
It was only to give the phone back, but it sounded as though she was reading too far into the question.  
"OF COURSE!"  
Happiness radiated through the phone and I took it away from my ear to glance at it.  
The corner of my nose pulled up and my eyes squinted at the eagerness.

'She must be really lonely...'

In her excitement, she had forgotten her random statement at the end of her sentence, but once she realized it she quickly added it in.  
"Naked wooden kittens."  
I glanced at the phone again before returning it to my ear.  
"Let's meet up at the park! The one that's down the street from your apartment, okay? - shiny black salt."  
"Yeah." Without another word I hung up. I didn't want to hear any more random crap.

The first thing to do was fix my clothes before I left.  
I pulled my sword strap on, and tucked Tsu's phone in my small wrist pouch.  
Taking a deep breath I pulled my door open, and started back down the hallway.  
An air of awkwardness surrounded me, and when I reached the living room I found Gintoki sitting on the couch.  
He was leaning against the armrest, gazing off into the nothingness of the room.  
His shirt was still open, and his yukata laid over his knee.  
The man didn't seem to notice me, and I walked to my sword which had remained on the floor where I dropped it.

I sheathed my blade, and was slightly startled at Gintoki's voice.  
I hadn't expected him to speak at all, as I still didn't know what to make of the situation.  
"Where are you going?"  
I turned to face him, looking as though I had been caught.  
"Well, I- I need to meet up with somebody..."  
He looked as though he didn't believe me, and stood up.  
"Running away isn't going to solve anything..."  
I shook my head.  
"Seriously, I'm not 'running'. I have somebody else's phone. I need to give it back."  
The Yorozura walked over to me, and I grew more nervous with each step.

"You ran earlier... Why?"  
Frantically shifting my gaze around the room, I could find nothing to say.  
I managed to stammer something odd like 'I forgot to put up my futon ' and quickly turned away from him.  
"Wait."  
He grabbed the back of my yukata, and I froze mid-step.  
Turning to face the man I was met with a hard expression that I couldn't quite decipher.  
"You can't go out like that..."  
Frowning, looked at my clothes.  
"What? What do you mean?"  
He reached to my hair line, and started scratching a small spot. Then repeated the motion on my chin.  
"You always have blood on you. Where do you go in the mornings?"

I hadn't realized that I had never told him. Now I didn't want him to know.  
It was true that I had to deal with a lot of blood, but it was always so difficult to get it all. Silently cursing myself, I faced the exit again.  
_'I need to be more careful... If he knows, he might not-'  
_"Haha, ohh that? That's not blood! It's paint!"  
I laughed awkwardly and when I gazed at him it was obvious that he wasn't buying the excuse.  
The unnatural cheerfulness probably wasn't helping either.  
_'Why do I always say paint?'_

The stern expression he was flashing me caused a sense of uneasiness to surround me. Or maybe it was just the kiss.

"I- I'm going to go now..."  
Before he could respond a phone started to ring. Apparently it was his.  
He answered and turned away from me. Instead of waiting for him I left, but I still heard some of his conversation.

"The pool? It's free right? ... Yeah... Kagura and Glasses?"

* * *

When I arrived at the park, I saw Tsu standing by a tree wearing a long trench coat, dark sunglasses and a fedora.  
I walked up to the girl; she was easy to pick out. Her purple hair stuck out from the hat, and nobody dresses like that in summer.  
"Oh, you found me! - Rainbow vampire shoe!"  
"Yeah... Here..." I handed the girl her phone and she squealed in delight.  
"So- Let's hang out! I know the perfect place to go. I'm gonna invite some of my friends too. - Shit spewing cupcake!"  
Unable to contain myself I scowled.  
"Okay... But stop doing that!"  
She stared at me blankly before pouting and nodding.  
"C'mon, let's go!" Immediately perking up, she pumped her fist into the air, and held an invisible microphone to her lips.  
I was about to comment on her spunky demeanor, but she quickly grabbed my hand and dragged me away.

"This one is cute too! You should put it on, and this one too- Oh! And this!"  
The pop star was shoving what seemed to be hundreds of bathing suits into my arms.  
I didn't like this. Not one bit.  
She was picking pink ones and yellow ones, completely disregarding the fact that I told her I only like black one piece suits.  
She shoved me into a dressing room and I held the swim suits up to myself scowling.  
_'There's no chance in-'_  
"OI! You aren't showing me what they look like!" Interrupted by the girls voice I turned to face the door.  
It swung open and I stared wide eyed at the girl.  
She walked in wearing a cute yellow two piece swimsuit with a bear over the left side of the top.

"You haven't even tried any on... Hmm, I guess I'll have to help you..." A dark glimmer graced her eyes and I backed away.  
"No-No, I'm fine..."  
She didn't listen and started towards me, her hands ready to grab my clothes.  
Knowing that if I tried to fight her off I would really hurt her, I had no choice but to oblige.  
The sounds of my yelling probably echoed across the whole of Japan.

* * *

_'If that's what getting clothes snatched off is like I'm glad I stopped Gintoki...'_

I grumbled the words in my mind, and glared at Tsu as we walked down the street.  
We had settled for something black, but it was a two piece with weird cold chains hanging from it.  
I didn't like this at all, and though the pop star was grinning cheerfully I was pissed off.  
And barely dressed. She had gotten me a see through skirt thing to tie around my waist to 'Help me be more comfortable'.  
But it was see through, and provided absolutely NO extra comfort.

"Here we are! We're gonna have so much fun! Come on!" Tsu grabbed my hand and led me to a public pool.  
I didn't know what to do. I was already awkward as it is.  
I couldn't help but cover my stomach with my arms, and try to cover everything else as well.  
It felt wrong to be dressed as I was, and the strange looks I was getting from men didn't make it any better.  
A cute giggle parted Tsu's lips, and she started unwrapping the sheer skirt around my waist.

"Wait- Don't..! I want to keep it on!" weirdly holding my hands around the knot I stared at the girl wide eyed.  
"Come on, just relax Rein-Chan, you look super cute!"

An uneasy expression took my face, and I dropped my head.  
'If I try to stop her I'm really gonna hurt her... That probably wouldn't be good- She is famous after all.  
I could hear her fans right now. "Otsu-Chan, what happened to your face?" Or "Where did your hair go?"  
Even worse I could see the news report.  
"Famous pop idol Terakado Tsu, known by her fans as Otsu, has been attacked by some crazy woman with a sword.  
Here's a sketch of the accused delinquent.  
Anybody who brings her to the local police department will be rewarded generously.  
Please, help us catch this monster!  
What person in their right mind would accost such a cute eighteen year old singer!?"  
And they would flash a sketch of me looking horribly evil, and a picture of poor Tsu looking horribly destroyed.'

That probably made me look bad, but I was really uncomfortable.  
While I did enjoy spending time with others (Of whom I can trust) Tsu seemed too happy to be considered a friend.  
Too peppy, and too cute. But I digress.  
She succeded in undoing the skirt, and I grumbled unhappily.  
"Cheer up! we're gonna have lots of fun! I invited a bunch of people! - crazy super- "  
Tsu stopped and peered at my oddly, probably catching herself, then she pranced along to the pavement to the pool.  
"Come on!"  
Nodding slowly I followed after her.


	43. Let's Hang Out! Pt 2

Admiring the neatly trimmed grass I leaned against the edge of the pool.  
Tsu was off talking to some people, leaving me alone.  
There were a few outdoor chess tables, and a wooden gazebo as well.  
My scars had not completely healed and I had medical wrap over my shoulder and waist, which only cause more odd stares.

"EYEBROW-SAN!" Turing in the direction of the voice, the sense of awkwardness that had taken me was quickly decimated.  
Kagura was standing atop a grassy hill, wearing a one piece swimsuit, and a pink tubular floatie.  
She ran down the hill, followed by Shinpachi, and lastly Gintoki who was taking his time as always.  
The young Yato girl splashed into the pool beside me, and I closed my eyes and laughed as the water met my skin.  
"Kagura-Chan! How did you know I was here?"  
"The stupid perm head told us, so we decided to come too!" The girl started swimming around splashing as she did so.  
Shinpachi followed her, and walked up to me as I watched Kagura.  
"Hey, how are you today?" A calm smile curled his lips as he spoke, and I stood up, turning to face him.  
"I'm alright. How are you?"  
He didn't answer, just stared at me wide eyed.  
I didn't quite understand why, and returned his stare curiously.  
"What?"  
The moment it clicked in my mind I sat back down in the water.  
"A-Are you staring at my chest? OI! STOP!"

Shinpachi quickly turned away and apologized, but upon seeing Tsu running up to us waving,  
he froze up again with a high strung look on his face.  
"Oi! OI! How many times are you going to freeze up like this?  
If you don't hurry and speak, you'll miss all of your lines, and opportunities to be important in this story!"  
I splashed him, and he snapped out of his trance, quickly apologizing once again.  
"So what brought you to Edo?"  
"None of your business. How do you know I'm not from here to begin with? Anyway I can't tell you or I'll choke on a scratch off ticket."

With that I walked into the deeper water where Kagura was swimming, leaving a very confused Shinpachi.  
Jumping up, I dove underwater, grabbing the unsuspecting girl's foot.  
Kagura began to flail wildly, and I just barely missed getting kicked in the face.  
Coming up for air I laughed at Kagura who just muttered something under her breath.  
"I didn't think you'd get so scared! I'm sorry!" Still laughing, I leaned onto Kagura's float.  
The girl still carried her umbrella and whacked e over the head with it.  
"Don't do that! -aru."  
Still laughing I nodded.  
Seeing nothing else to do, we turned to watch Tsu and Shinpachi.

Tsu reached up, and hugged him. Blood shot from his nose and he fell back into the water.  
She stared at him curiously for a moment, before looking at us.  
"Lets all play a game!"  
"A game?" I asked.

"What kind of game?!" Kagura was obviously excited.  
Tsu placed a finger to her lips, as if she was thinking about it.  
"OH! I know!" Jumping out of the pool, she pulled a green microphone out of god knows where, and pointed to us.  
"Let's play Parko Molo! Gin-Chan, you be 'it' this time! The rules of the game-"  
She explained everything and offered an energetic wink.  
Every body turned to find Gintoki, but he was laying on the side of the pool eating chocolate and not paying attention to us at all.  
After another small debate, Kagura was dubbed as 'It'  
"Alright everybody! - Smelly bacon castle! Let's do it! - Ginger pansy strings!"

I stared up at Tsu blankly, and she jumped back in the water.  
"Awwww, why do I have to be it!? Stupid Glasses, this is all his fault!"  
Kagura whined from her floatie as i started away from her.  
"My fault?!" Shinpachi called apparently having recovered from his head rush.

Now that it wasn't just Tsu and I, I felt more relaxed. The others served as a nice break from the peppiness.  
I could handle her personality in small doses, but the more I was around her, the more she made me dizzy.  
We all moved around the pool, which was growing more empty by the minute, and the game began  
"Parko!" Kagura called moving blindly around the pool.  
"Molo!" We all called in unison.  
Kagura bumped into somebody between us, and we gaped in horror as she quickly snatched the man up, strangling him.

"IS THAT WHAT SHE'S GONNA DO TO US?!" I screamed to Shinpachi.

"I THINK SHE IS! I THINK SHE IS!" He was obviously just as terrified as me.  
We began to run through the water as fast as we could,  
trying to put as many people and as much distance between us and Kagura as possible.

The four of us continued to call out to each other and we watched as Kagura grabbed every single person she bumped into,  
and then threw them back into the water mangled an traumatized.

Eventually I swam under water as Kagura got close, passing by the Yato, and coming up beside Gintoki who was staring on, blankly.  
Instead of getting in the pool, he sat on the side, dangling his legs in the water.  
Speaking in a hushed tone, I turned to him.  
"You don't want to play too?" He gazed down at me, his arms crossed.  
"I don't want to die." He said it in a flat tone which would have made me laugh,  
if I hadn't been trying to avoid death at that very moment.  
Knowing that if he joined the game I would have better odds of surviving I decided not to give up.

"Come on, Its fun!" Grinning, I grabbed his hand, and pulled on him lightly.  
"Unhand me temptress! I'm not getting killed by that crazed Yato brat!"  
He began to pull against me, and eventually we were fighting over whether he would come into the pool or not.  
I got my way, when Gintoki slid off of the edge, almost falling on me.  
After we both straightened ourselves our eyes met, and I shifted my gaze.  
For a moment I had almost forgotten the scene in the hallway and now that I thought of it, I couldn't help but grow nervous.  
"Um... Could you move?"

When I gazed back up at Gintoki I saw that he had turned his head, and was trying to look away from me.  
A faint hint of peach took his cheeks, and it took me a moment to realize why he was acting this way.  
_'Why am I so oblivious to these sorts of situations?!'  
_When he had fallen, there wasn't much room to start with.  
Now we stood against each other, both of us at a loss for words.  
Before either of us could break the spell of speechlessness, Shinpachi called out to me.  
"Oi! Watch out! You're gonna die!"

* * *

**A/N: Hello everybody! I apoligize for taking so long to update, it's been a busy few days for me.  
Before any body comments on the 'Parko Molo' game, I want you all to know that I intentionally switched the first letters.  
Seeing as to how it's a real persons name, I didn't want to use it. Sooo yeah. - Lazy creativity fuels authors!  
Hope you're having a great day :)  
**


	44. Let's Hang Out! Pt 3

Gintoki and I turned to face Kagura who was grinning maliciously.  
"I know you're here... You were loud enough." A wicked chuckle slipped from her lips as she raised her hand.  
Neither of us could react before she started splashing the water towards us.  
It was more like a violent river then a mere splash, and we were both knocked over from the force.  
As we fell into the water I felt my arms being clasped tightly.  
Opening my eyes I saw Gintoki in front of me.  
He motioned up and shook his head.  
In return I signaled that I hadn't been able to take a breath, but instead of allowing me up he began to swim away.  
He let one of my arms go, yet kept one hand on my wrist leading me past Kagura, and to the other side of the pool.

When he pulled me up, I bounced out of the water gasping for air.  
Gintoki watched me, as I panted.  
Ignoring him I lowered my eyes and stared at Kagura who was chasing Shinpachi.  
Beads of water clung to my hair and trickled down my skin.  
When I peered at Gintoki again, he averted his eyes.  
"You really need to move..." He grabbed my shoulders, and placed me against the side of the pool, before walking away, and climbing out.

Eventually, Kagura caught Shinpachi, mangling him as she had the others.  
We all took turns, before deciding to take a break.  
Sitting on the edge of the pool, we were just about to leave when Tsu saw Hijikata walking over to the pool.  
Okita and Kondou were with him.  
"Look! It's Mayora-San!" Kagura pointed at him, and Shinpachi nodded.  
"He brought Kondou, and Sougo with him. I wonder what they're doing here?"  
Tsu turned to Shinpachi. "Well, Gintoki said he was busy at first, so I invited them! - Tacky peanut custard!"  
Everybody glanced at Gintoki who hadn't noticed. He was laying back on a towel, legs dangling in the pool, eating a chocolate bar.

"Toushi-Kun!" Tsu waved at him as he neared the edge of the pool. He dropped in beside her, followed by the others,.  
"You didn't say everybody was going to be here..."  
She grinned warmly and he nodded in response.  
"I wanted it to be a surprise! - Red chicken poncho"  
Hijikata reached into a small pouch he had dropped by the pool, and pulled out a cigarette.  
"Rein-San! We didn't know you'd be here!" Kondou waved at me, and I returned his gesture.  
Feeling somewhat relieved that it wasn't just Hijikata I walked over to the men.

Greeting them, something blocked my path and I waved my arms around frantically to keep from falling.  
"Damn it! Okita!"  
The man chuckled lightly, and narrowed his eyes at Hijikata.  
"Rein, you're just as clumsy as ever." He stated in a monotone voice.  
"I'm not clumsy! You just-" Sighing in frustration I turned to face Kondou, repeating my greeting.  
Kondou responded kindly, but Okita had an odd smirk.  
"So you're the reason why we're here?"  
It was obvious that he was not making polite small talk when he flicked his eyes over to Hijikata,  
who lit his cigarette gazing at him from the corner of his eyes.  
"No, I wanted to take a break today. Anyway, exercise is good for you, so go."  
Kondou grinned, as him and Okita walked away, and over to Kagura and Shinpachi.  
Tsu followed behind them, and I found myself alone with Hijikata.

I eyed the man oddly, not knowing what to say.  
"What?" He seemed annoyed when he spoke, and I scowled.  
"Shut up, give me that-" Snatching the cigarette from him I turned away.  
He sighed loudly before speaking.  
"Oi. That day in my room- Did you really just go to give me that stuff? In the bag?"  
I peered at him over my shoulder and shrugged.  
"I don't know what you're talking about..."

Another game of Parko Molo had started and I watched every body tag each other for a while.  
" There's another game... Wanna join in?"  
He shook his head and I ashed the cigarette, handing it back to him.  
"I don't really play games." Nodding I gazed up at him.  
"So why are you here?"  
"I didn't come to see you. Just wanted to come to the pool."  
Rolling my eyes I nodded again.  
"Of course."

"Parko!" Kagura's voice interrupted my thoughts, apparently, she was 'It' again.  
Sougo stood with his back to us, and I saw him turn and grin at Hijikata.  
"Molo!" he called out, and ducked under water.  
"I'LL GET YOU, YOU BASTARD!" Kagura shouted and suddenly a machine gun sounded.  
Hijikata pushed me underwater, and ducked down himself, before coming up screaming.  
"WHAT THE HELL SOUGO!? ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US KILLED!?"  
Laughing Sougo didn't answer, just walked away.

"Are you okay?" Turning his attention to me, he wore a concerned expression.  
"Yeah. I'm fine. Thanks..." I grumbled the words and he immediately changed the look he was giving me.  
The man started trying to re-light the wet cigarette.  
"So... In the car, you said something about a fortune cookie. And a mystic.  
Like they both told you that you were going to die. What happened?"

Gazing at the man I sighed.  
'Is it okay to tell him? He _is _a cop after all... That woman at the store told me I had a choice to make,  
and the wrong one would kill me... Was she talking about this? No she was probably just crazy... It should be alright...'  
Nodding I walked past him and leaned against the side of the pool.

"Years ago I got a fortune cookie. It told me to leave town and never return; that my life was in danger.  
It also said not to tell anybody, but I told my sister, master and the mystic.  
Nothing has happened this far, so I think it might have been a hoax."

He stared at me oddly before nodding.  
"The mystic told me that somebody else had gotten the same warning, and he died.  
The man choked on a scratch off ticket. My master made me leave. He said I wasn't welcome in the town any more."  
Now Hijikata frowned at me, and turned to face everybody. They were still playing the game, and I shifted my gaze.  
"It's stupid, I know..."  
He shook his head, and peered at me.  
"No, it's not..."

As he gave up on lighting the cigarette I lifted myself onto the side of the pool, dangling my feet in the water.  
Hijikata reached towards the pouch beside me, and pulled another cigarette out.  
He didn't seem to mind the lack of space and I leaned away from him.  
The man gazed up at me, and placed a hand to my chin.

_'What the fuck is going on? What is he doing?'_

He started to lean into me, and I stared at him wide eyed.

_'Is he gonna kiss me too? Why do people keep doing this?! What do I do?!'_

A small 'thunk' followed by a splash interrupted him,  
and we both peered at the water only to find a piece of chocolate sinking to the bottom of the pool.  
Hijikata's eyes fell on Gintoki who was eating a bar of chocolate. "Oi! Sugar Fiend! What the-"  
I didn't get to hear the last part of his sentence.  
The sound of him yelling was unexpected, and made me jump.  
I then fell into the pool. Hijikata was still yelling when I came up.  
"YOU COULD HAVE KILLED HER!" He turned and stared at me oddly and I glared at the man crossing my arms.  
"What the fuck were you doing?"  
His gaze immediately settled on my chest. A jolt of anger shot through me, and I huffed in frustration.  
"Damn it! Stop! I hate this outfit!"  
He stared at me seemingly stunned, and I started muttering under my breath, climbing out of the pool and walking away.


	45. Heat of the Moment

Instead of taking the time to completely redress I pulled my Yukata over the wet swim suit, and left the park.  
I had also pulled my sword strap on, and was now moving back towards my apartment.  
As I walked I saw Gintoki standing out side of a shop, reading a comic book.  
I stopped beside the man frowning.  
"What the- How the hell did you get here before me?!"  
He turned to face me with a seemingly bored look on his face.  
"What?"  
"You were just at the pool with us! How did you get here first?"  
I crossed my arms as I spoke.  
"Pool? I don't know what you're talking about, stupid."  
Sighing in frustration, I rolled my eyes.  
"Don't lie to me, we even spoke to each other!"  
"Are you sure it was me?"  
"YES!"

He stared at me for a moment before putting the book down.  
"How do you know that?"  
I flashed him an annoyed expression and pointed at his hair.  
"It's pretty obvious..."  
He shrugged me off.  
"That doesn't mean anything. Anybody could have hair like this!"  
Tired of this interaction I turned away.  
"You're ridiculous..."  
As I started to walk he called out behind me.  
"Yeah, but you kissed me."

A flame seemed to tint me cheeks, causing them to burn and I froze mid-step.  
"I- I- I didn't!" I turned back to the man and he was smirking defiantly.  
"You did... And you were about you kiss nicotine fiend too..."  
"I- I-" Unable to do anything but stutter, I stopped myself.  
The Yorozura remained in place, still holding his smug expression.

People passed by us and I just stood there, embarrassed.  
"What? Nothing to say? You lost a point." He pointed at me and I frowned.  
"A point?"

I had completely forgotten about his points system, and now I started to panic.  
I didn't know why, but it was undeniable.  
I must have looked just as troubled at I felt, because he started to laugh at me.  
The man never told me if I gained points, only when I'd lost them and now I wondered how many I had.  
He seemed to be keeping track of them, and I didn't want to know what happened if I lost too many.

"S- Shut up! I don't care about your stupid point system!"  
Not exactly what I was thinking, but it was all I could say.  
He continued to laugh at me, and I started away from him. Moment later he rejoined me, walking towards my apartment.

The walk was silent and I turned to scowl at the man.  
"What? Why are you following me?"  
"I don't have a key." He stated flatly, crossing his arms and tucking his hands into his one sleeve.  
A plastic bag hung loosely from his arm and it seemed to contain the book he had been reading.

"Why the hell won't you go home?! I'm sure you have a key to _that_ door!"  
He peered at me blankly, before averting his gaze.  
"That's not very attractive. Ladies shouldn't yell and scowl like that. It causes wrinkles..."  
He poked my face, and I glared at the man.

* * *

"Gin-Chaaan! Gin-Chan! OI!"  
We turned to face a woman with straight purple hair running up to us,  
"Shit..." Gin muttered under his breath.  
I watched on curiously as the woman caught up to us an started bombarding Gintoki with questions.  
"Where have you been? You haven't been at the Yorozura as usual! I've been waiting for you to return!  
I was sooo worried when I head that Gin-Chan wasn't coming back like usual!  
They even said you might have found a girlfriend, but I told them that was crazy talk, because my Gin-Chan loves me!"  
Gintoki watched her scratching his head.

"Why the hell have you been keeping tabs on me?!" He yelled, and the woman fidgeted back and forth, as if it truly excited her.  
"Don't do that Gin-Chan! Not here!" She started blushing and gazing down, connecting her pointer fingers.  
Feeling completely lost, I cleared my throat.  
The woman glared up at me, then walked to Gintoki, wrapping an arm around his broad shoulder.  
"Gin-Chan, who is this? I hope she knows that you're happily married..."  
I stared at her wide eyed, and he mimicked my expression.  
"WHAT?!" He shouted.  
"Yeah... What..?"  
Immediately scowling I took a step away from the two.  
"Oh yes... We've slept in the same bed, and done this and that~ I take care of all his needs!"  
She started nuzzling Gintoki's chest, and the man shoved her back.  
"DAMN IT SARUTOBI! Don't tell her that!"  
He shoved her back, but she kept coming; locking her arms around him.  
Soon he couldn't get her off, and she happily laughed as he shoved at her head, trying to pry the woman from himself.

I watched for a moment, before starting away.  
I didn't know what sort of weird ass love they had, but definitely didn't want to be a part of it.  
"Oi! OI! Don't leave! Hold on!"  
I heard Gintoki calling out behind me, but ignored the man.  
Delighted squeals filled the air, probably from that girl, and Gintoki angrily shouted a slew of curses.  
Soon a loud smack sounded, and then footsteps behind me.  
"Oi! Hold on!"

"Gin-Chan! You better not be running after that other woman! GIN-CHAN!"

Gintoki caught up to me and grabbed my shoulder. Before he could speak the woman was doing the same.  
I scowled at them both, as they started talking.  
"She's just a stalker, I haven't done anything with her, she's crazy!"  
"A stalker?! Don't lie to her! I'm your loving wife! We've done this and that!"

They spoke at the same time and I stared at them, my face hardening into a stone like expression.  
I stopped walking and so did they, still speaking too quickly for me to decipher.  
Instead of choosing one side to believe I sighed loudly, and pushed Gintoki towards the girl.  
"I don't know who's telling the truth, but you can have him..." She squealed in delight, and Gintoki gaped in horror.  
"DON'T TELL HER SHE CAN HAVE ME! DON'T I HAVE ANY SAY IN THE MATTER?!"

I shrugged and continued away.  
Truthfully I was increasingly annoyed.  
I didn't know if he was really married, or if Sarutobi just didn't want him to be with other women, but it made my decision much easier.  
I would not fight for a man. Ever.

Walking down the side walk I peered at a small pond contemplating the odd scenario.  
A woman telling me she was married to Gintoki...  
Despite the fact that I was incredibly fond of he man, if it was so I couldn't accept him, or his advances.  
The two continued to yell at each other, and footsteps once again sounded behind me.  
"GIN-CHAN!"  
Soon there was a splash in the very pond I had been staring at.  
Gintoki grabbed me again, and I peered at the man blankly.  
"Damn it, don't tell stalkers they can have me! Stupid..." He grumbled the last part, scowling at me.

I ignored the man and continued to my apartment.

* * *

When we arrived I closed the door behind us.  
"Oi..."  
Peering up at the man I was met with an odd expression. One that was soft, yet distant.  
"Did you believe her?"  
I averted my gaze and shrugged.  
"It's not my place to make assumptions about you and your personal life..."  
He frowned at me, and sighed loudly.  
"What do you mean 'not your place'? I asked you a simple question..."  
Leaning against the door, I once again looked at anything but him: my fingernails, a strand of my dark hair, the clock hanging on the wall; anything.  
When he realized that he wasn't going to get an answer he moved closer to me.  
I instinctively pressed myself against the door, and my mind began to race.  
"W- Why did yo come back? Doesn't it make more sense to be with Shinpachi and Kagura?"  
He leered down at me, his expression unchanging.

Before I knew what was happening his lips were against mine.  
I didn't push him away this time, instead I eagerly returned his gesture.  
It caused obvious excitement and he grabbed my yukata, pulling me away from the door.  
The man walked backwards, and soon we reached the couch when he somehow got me to sit.  
He knelt in front of me, and one of his hands fell to my lap as the other traced my jaw.

It was an unexpected predicament, but I found that I no longer hesitated.  
His touch seemed to melt me, and I wanted this as badly as him. But the thought of going farther...

I grabbed his shirt, and pulled him closer.  
The Yorozura happily obliged, sitting on the couch beside me.  
He pushed me back, and our kiss grew more feverish, as though we couldn't bare the small distance between us.  
While it may have been true for me, there was no way of telling how he truly felt.  
I craved the contact; I had never felt anything quite like it before.  
His kiss set a wave of warmth over me, and I couldn't help but indulge myself.  
His hand slipped into my hair, and our tongues met, fighting for dominance.

Gintoki groaned lightly into my lips, as i wrapped my arm around his shoulders.  
I could feel hes muscles tense as he moved, and they were solid; as anticipated.

He pushed against me, forcing me down on the couch.  
His motions became rough, and soon he was pulling my yukata open.  
I wondered how to react and my heart began to race.  
_'Should I let him? How far is he going to take this?'_

My mind buzzed with questions, and our lips parted.  
He gazed into my eyes for a moment before lightly kissing me again, and moving his lips to my neck.  
The sensation sent chills down my spine, and I moaned at the contact.  
His tongue flicked across my skin, and I felt his warm breath immediately contradict the chill it had caused.  
I had forgotten that the only thing beneath my yukata was a partially damn swim suit, and his fingers lightly grazed my skin.  
Unable to contain the small moans and pants from within me, I didn't try to stop him.

He soon started to remove his own clothes; quickly abandoning his Yukata, and shirt.  
Though I was nervous, his skin seemed to beckon me to go farther.  
It was warm to the touch, and radiated a faint smell of sweat, and sweets.  
It was a pleasing combination, which only heightened the encounter.  
Gintoki reconnected our lips and his hand moved behind my neck.  
He untied my top, and I felt panic surge through me.  
Attempting to calm myself, I focused on kissing him back.  
My heart seemed as if it would leap from my chest, as his fingers slid across my skin and to the small top concealing me.  
Just as he grabbed the fabric an unexpected tune interrupted us.

Gintoki froze in place, before looking at his yukata on the floor.  
Without a word he lean up, pulling away from me. I watched him, panting.  
I could feel my cheeks, which had to have flushed during the interaction.  
The man sat on the couch and reached to the yukata, pulling his phone out.  
_'Is he serious? Is he really going to-'  
_"What?" He asked in an annoyed tone.  
I could hear a woman's voice, it was low, and muffled, but it was obviously not a man.

"I can speak however I want! ... No... But Tae-Chan-"  
He was cut off by her, and leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees.  
"Right now? Why should I go over there?! I don't need to waste gas!  
If you want it then you come here! This isn't special delivery! This isn't Chinese take out! Glasses-"

Seeing that this wasn't going to be as quick as assumed, I placed an arm over my chest, and leaned up.  
He didn't even glance at me, and I pulled my yukata closed.  
_'This was stupid... I- I shouldn't have let it get this far... He's obviously got a bunch of women who..._'  
I didn't want to complete the thought. First it was the 'stalker' and now some other woman.

He remained in place, debating with the woman, and soon I stood up and walked away.  
Words could not describe how embarrassing it was.  
To be in the heat of the moment, and then suddenly ignored at such a time.  
He didn't know of my lack of experience but that was besides the point.

Angered, I walked to my room, and locked the door behind myself.


	46. Unexpected Encounter

"Oi. Oi, open the door!"  
Gintoki stood outside of my bedroom and I stared at his shadow, which I could see under the door.  
"Why?" I asked in as calm a voice as I could muster.  
"Why'd you run off?"

He didn't seem to realize how unsettling it was for me to be this close to a man.  
I wasn't used to kissing, or any thing else people did.  
The man must have realized he wasn't going to get an answer and walked off.  
I didn't know how to approach the subject, or even tell him I hadn't done such a thing before.  
Instead of trying I decided to put some real clothes on and look for a job, any job, to get my mind off things.

After pulling a new yukata on and re-wrapping my wounds, I adjusted my sword strap and opened the door.  
The apartment was silent, and I started down the hallway.  
when I reached the living room Gintoki was also fixing his clothes.  
"I have a job to do. I'm gonna go get the brats."  
He peered up at me from the buttons of his shirt and I nodded.  
"As do I."  
Without offering another word I started towards the door, undeniably angered towards him.  
Before I touched it, he was behind me, whisking me around. I stared up at the man, and he returned my gaze.  
"I'll see you later, if I come back."  
I nodded again not sure of what to say.  
He didn't release me, just brought his lips to mine.  
For a second, the anger that I had towards him disintegrated, and my mind fell bank.  
I could do nothing but fall into the soft kiss.  
Of course, I kissed him back, and soon he broke the contact.  
"If you keep that up, neither of us are gonna make it to our jobs..."

I felt my cheeks grow warm and quickly turned away, leaving.  
_'Why the hell do I keep blushing?'_

* * *

"Rein, I have a small job for you today..."  
Before I even made it to the warehouse district, I was stopped by one of my frequent employers.  
I offered a slight nod and led him to a more secluded area, so we could speak.

"There is an important ring, that has been in my family for generations; an heirloom you could say.  
Recently it has been stolen, in a sense. Somebody who had no right gave it to another man, who knew that it was wrong.  
They didn't seem to mind the interaction, despite the fact that I was the one paying them both... So what do you say?"  
The man stared at me with raised eyebrows.  
I caught his gaze, and for a second it seemed as though his emerald eyes glimmered with something else.  
Something different then his normal look.

It appeared that he had another plan, that he wasn't revealing to me.  
But with that being said I am not the kind of person who back down easily.  
"Not a problem, sir. Where should I start?"

A grin curled his lips, and the wind caught his short brown hair.  
"There is a ship near the ocean. It's by the docks for now, They're scheduled to leave soon.  
I'd appreciate if you retrieved it before then... The payment will be worth while as well."  
Nodding I started away.

On the way to the ship I saw a news broadcast.  
It was being aired on a small T.V in the window of a store.  
A picture of Takasugi was being shown, and I stopped to watch.

_"Earlier this week we received news that a terrorist named Takasugi Shinsuke has been killed. _  
_He died from a stab wound to the heart, and several other life threatening injuries. _  
_No other people were found around him. And nobody was near him when the indecent transpired. _  
_All we do know is that this is good news for Edo."_

Prying my eyes away from the screen I had to wonder.  
_'Is it true?'_

The air was heavy with mist from the waves, and the smell of salt mingled with said mist.  
A gust of wind blew a bit of sand towards me, and I shielded my eyes with the sleeve of my yukata.  
The first ship I saw was the only one there, leading to the conclusion that it must be the one my employer spoke of.  
I crept onto the air craft, finding no guards to block my path.  
Once inside I silently made my way through the hallways. A voice caused me to freeze.  
"So how much do you think it's worth?"  
_"Alone or with all the other crap?"  
_"Alone..."  
Two men sat in the room just beyond the door in front of me.  
Clenching my sword, I eased the door open.  
_"Half a mil... Give or take..."  
_"That's all?!"

After peeking at the men I saw no immediate danger.  
The only way to truly get the item back was to be direct.  
The first man was holding onto it for dear life. He wouldn't even let his partner get a good look at it.  
Opening the door I walked in. The men froze and stared at me wide eyed, and frowning.  
"Gentlemen." I nodded towards them, and walked to a small table in the room.  
The men were standing by a large pile of things.  
Some sort of makeshift treasure.  
At first glance it would appear to be a pile of junk,  
but upon further inspection it was a stack of things like jewelry, swords, instruments. Anything that could sell.

Leaning on the table I tilted my head down, and glared up at the men.  
They remained silent and I crossed my arms, being sure to keep my hand on the handle of my blade.  
"You have something that I need. A ring." Seeing that they were just going to stare at me I spoke first.  
The men looked at each other again, before smirking at me.  
"You serious girlie? And what if we don't wanna give it to you?"  
The man holding the ring spoke, and his partner laughed.  
"I'll take it..."

They laughed even harder now, and my patience began to run thin.

Instead of taking me seriously, they started to mock my demeanor.  
"Look at this girl, she thinks she's tough!"  
"Such a terrier, really..."  
They laughed harder, and I narrowed my eyes at the men.  
I joined in the laughter, and they stopped, watching me.  
Immediately stopping, I glared that them.  
Sighing loudly I chose not to negotiate, or even give them time to think of anything else.  
If they were to actually get a good insult in, I would flip.  
"Grab your swords, rats..."  
They glared at me, as I unsheathed my blade.  
"I'll teach you what happens when you underestimate a woman..."

The next few minutes were a blur.  
The only thing I recalled was the dull ache of my already existing wounds,  
the screams that filled the room, and a beautiful crimson shade.  
Pain snapped me back to reality, yet I didn't know where it was.  
When my mind cleared I was standing in front of the man who wore the ring.  
He must have slipped it on when I wasn't looking.  
"You... You can't be real... It's not possible." He was covered in blood. As was I.  
The man held his sword arm, and glared at me from the sandy fringe of his hair.  
"Hand me the ring. If you don't want to join your friend."  
My voice was a low, menacing tone, yet the man did not back down.  
His partner laid on the floor, most likely dead.

"How are you still standing? I- I stabbed you! A woman could not withstand such a blow..."  
He coughed violently, and blood spattered to the ground.  
"The ring..." I extended a hand towards him, only to retract it when he swung at me.  
My vision blurred once again, and I felt a smirk tug at my lips.  
"Very well... I'll take that finger..."  
We lunged towards each other in a clash of metal.  
A loud sound echoed in the background, yet neither of us paid it any mind.  
It was the sound of a door, and voices.  
I didn't know why but a voice in the back of my head told me to hurry, and flee; that I knew who was coming.

"So what was stolen from you again?"  
_"Our father's old sword, it was hanging in the training room."_

Ignoring everything but the man in front of me, I evaded a jab towards me.  
For once my arm began to ache, and from the corner of my eye I noticed my blue yukata was turning a deep brown shade.  
_'He must have really stabbed me...'_

Gaining the upper hand I stabbed the man through his torso.  
He froze in place and dropped his sword. I grabbed his yukata, and pulled him closer.  
"I warned you..."  
He didn't respond, just stared at me.  
Letting him go I grabbed his hand and pried the ring away from his finger, slipping it on my own.  
Having no further use for the man I kicked him backwards.  
When I retracted the blade blood sprayed everywhere, covering me.  
just as the man began to fall, the door open and I stared in shock of who it was.  
I had been caught, by the one person I didn't want to see me like this.  
He looked just as surprised as me, and so did the young lady beside him.  
She wore a pink yukata, and had brown hair which she had pulled back into a pony tail.  
She seemed to be more surprised at the scene before her.  
One woman covered in blood, standing over two dead men, who were also covered in blood.

My eyes met with the man beside her. He didn't shift his gaze from me, and I felt my heart begin to pound.  
Already panting from the battle, the named was nothing but a pant; a ghost on my lips.

"G-Gintoki!"


	47. Unexpected Encounter Pt 2

The door to the room slammed shut; Gintoki did it of course.  
"Gin-Chan, do you know that crazy woman?"  
_"What? Huh? What woman?"_  
"The one in that room? You know the one that was covered in blood, and said your name?"  
_"Oh, that? That wasn't a woman, that was the janitor."_

I heard the two talking outside of the room, and tried to think of an escape plan.  
'Maybe if I found a way out, they'll think it wasn't real.'  
I searched the room for something, anything that I could climb or crawl into to flee.  
Nothing stood out in particular. Nothing but an air vent. I was sure that I could fit inside of it, if I really tried.

"Gin-Chan! What's happening? - Aru." It was Kagura.  
_"Uh, N- Nothing! Nothing! This is the wrong place!"_  
"Wrong place? But everybody said the thieves were here! We came all the way over here for nothing?" Now Shinpachi spoke.

"No, no. This is the right place.  
There's just a janitor woman in there and she's covered in blood, and said Gin-Chan's name!  
They clean with swords here, I wonder if I could get a job too, that's so sophisticated..."  
A woman's voice answered Shinpachi, and she sounded cheerful.

"A janitor? Covered in blood? Is she okay?" Shinpachi sounded confused.  
_"Yeah- Yeah- She's fine! You all go! Umm, search the other rooms, I'll take care of this one!"  
_Gintoki spoke next, and there was a moment of silence.  
"Are you hiding something Gin-Chan?" The woman spoke again.

_"Hiding? ME? No! I just don't want you kids to go up against the monster behind this door.  
I've seen a report on TV about these things. Janitors are deadlier than you think...  
They're so powerful that if the scratch you, that part of your body swells up; and explodes.  
Anybody who has fought one before has died."_

It was a long explanation, and the group fell silent.  
Soon everybody was muttering tones of approval.  
The only thing I could make out was "Don't let it scratch your balls!". That had to be Kagura speaking.

Moments later the door opened, and I watched Gintoki walk into the room from my hiding spot.  
"Rein!" He spoke in a hushed tone, and sounded pissed.  
I tried not to answer, but he crossed his arms.  
"Damn it, I know you're in here. There's no where to go."

Sighing in defeat I revealed myself.  
At the last moment I had found an indent in the wall near the ceiling.  
It was a small loft space with two beds in the area.  
I climbed down careful not to strain my arm, and he glared at me.  
"Is this what you do? You go out an kill people when you work?!"

I stared up at him guiltily and his gaze sharpened.  
"Answer me!"

I raised my hand to the injury on my arm, and lowered my eyes.  
"Not always..."

He scowled at me, and I shifted my gaze again.  
"So you did this? Killed them both? For what? Money? That's all?"

Unable to answer him I bit my lip. The salty bitter sweet taste of blood danced on my tongue, and I didn't move.  
He grabbed my arm, and yanked me to his side.  
"Look- Look at what you've done..." The words were mostly a growl, and my eyes settled on the bodies of the two men.  
The metallic taste in my mouth intensified, when I started to chew on my lower lip.  
A small amount of pain attempted to stop me, but I continued, not caring that I was bleeding.

For some reason I felt my eyes begin to burn. Gintoki didn't speak to me. He didn't look at me.  
It felt as if my actions disgusted him. Seeing that he wouldn't say anything else I turned away from him.  
He hadn't let go of my arm, and despite the fact that I would normally snatch myself away I waited for his grip to lessen.  
I felt as though he was a snake, preparing to bite me, and inject a deadly venom into my heart.  
Or maybe it was just the fact that I was nervous.

"They might just seem like worms to you, but how will a butterfly ever be born if the worm never makes it to the cocoon?"

I peered up at him, and he glared at me. The grip on my arm loosened and I left.  
I couldn't help but run. As I ran, I heard Kagura's voice behind me.  
EYEBROW-SAN! Did something get stolen from you too?!"  
The back of my yukata probably wasn't covered in liquid rubies like the front,  
She probably had no idea, that I was the janitor.


	48. The Visit

I didn't stop until I was as far as my legs could carry me.  
My mind buzzed with questions.  
_'Why am I running? What am I running from? What does he think of me now?  
How could I ever face him again?'_

Taking a moment to examine my surroundings I found that I was in the warehouse area.  
It had been a week or so since I had last returned, but it always felt the same.  
Knowing that I had no reason to be there, I returned to my house.

* * *

Gintoki didn't come back. Life continued on as it always would.  
Over a week passed, and I had attempted to forget the man.  
It seemed obvious that he had no intention of returning.  
The last morning he was here I left before he did.  
The man had left a small note with his phone number on it, and all I could do was stare at the numbers occasionally.  
I knew I couldn't call him. That was a given.  
But I had looked at the small tear of paper so many time I was sure I had it memorized.

Not like it would do any good, but it was the only way I felt like I was still close to him.  
I had never remembered a phone number before, so it seemed special. Not that he knew.  
The morning dragged on as usual. I made breakfast, took a shower, got dressed.  
But after pulling my clothes on I decided to stay home.

I just didn't feel like going out. I had enough money for any bills that could arrive.  
As the man had specified that day when he asked me to retrieve his ring, the pay was well worth while.  
If only every job was like that.  
I sat in the living room reading a book; ignoring the memories that the couch held.  
It wasn't much, but it was more then I had ever imagined doing.

Over an hour passed, and I seemed to sigh every few minutes.  
_'What the hell has been wrong with me lately?'_

Returning my attention to the book I glanced over a few apathetic poems.

"If he does not care  
About my love I shouldn't  
Try to show him why"

"What do you offer?  
Pain for life he said to me  
That really makes sense?"

"Fragile human man,  
My paper heart has now ripped  
Fix it up with tape."

"Wither in the breeze.  
With leaves and flower petals  
Carried on the wind."

_'Why are these so depressing? This is stupid...'_

The light in the window had changed positions, and cast a faint pink ray on the wall across from me.  
Letting out another sigh, I closed the book, and laid on the couch.  
Just as I closed my eyes, there was a slow knock at my door.  
Immediately sitting up I glanced in the direction of the sound.  
_'Is it him?'_

The only people who know where I lived were Tsu, Gintoki and the Senshingumi.  
It had to be one of them.  
My heart began to pound and I stood up.  
"Who is it?"  
I received no answer, and peeked through the peep hole on the door.  
I didn't see anybody. The hallway looked empty.  
"Who is it?" I asked again.  
This time somebody called out "Me..."  
It sounded like Gintoki, but weird. Like he was in an odd mood or something.  
I hesitated for a moment, wondering what I would say.  
What he would say.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door.  
The moment I did, my eyes widened.  
Before me stood a ghost. Not a real one, as he wasn't transparent.  
It was Takasugi, and he flashed me a dark smirk.  
"Hello, Rein..."  
Without giving him time to say anything again I closed the door, but he caught it on his foot.  
His hand clasped around the door, and he started forcing his way in.  
I pushed against him, leaning my whole body on the wood.  
As he pushed he spoke.

"Are you sure you want to fight against me? I have something - or rather some body - who I'm sure youd rather save..."

Confused, I stopped, and he pushed the door open.  
"Some... body?" I asked.  
_'Is it Gintoki? Does he have Gintoki? No, he can't...'_

"Yes... Somebody. You know..."  
He walked into my apartment, and closed the door behind himself.  
I remained in the genkan, watching him through narrowed eyes.  
"... I didn't expect you to have any family... A woman with no last name - It would be impossible for you to find any relatives as it is.  
But to know that you have a sister. One who is a splitting image of you at that... Tell me, who's older? You're twins, right?"

Staring at the man my heart lept.  
That accompanied with the sour feeling that had settled in my stomach, which was churning at the thought of him having her.  
If it was even true.  
Appalled I scowled at the man.  
"You're lying. I don't have a sister..."  
A sinister chuckled filled the air. It was wild, and he placed a hand over his stomach as he laughed.

"Dear Rein, How could you deny Chizuru?"

Now he returned my scowl, and my jaw dropped.  
He did have her. He knew exactly what he was talking about.  
And I would have to save her.


	49. Pride is a Terrible Thing to Waste

"Ch- Chizuru..." I gasped the name, and Takasugi's grin only widened.  
His eye held an excited gleam, and he walked over to me.  
"Do you want to save her, Rein?" He watched me, obviously amused.  
"Of course..."

He placed a hand on the wall over my shoulder and leaned into me, inching dangerously close to my lips.  
"Then give me yourself in exchange..." The words were nothing but a breath in my ear, and I growled in frustration.  
Grabbing his yukata, I shoved him back against the wall opposite of me.  
"Bastard! Fuck you! I would never! You- You-"

He started to laugh, and I stared up at him wide eyed.  
"If you don't want to, I can always have you through her... As I have said, she looks exactly like you..."

A small gasp forced it's way into my chest, and my grip on his collar loosened.  
"You wouldn't!"  
He grinned at me, and my heart dropped.  
"I'd enjoy to..."

My mind clouded with frustration. Questions flooded my skull, such as how did she get here? Was she coming to find me? How did he get her?  
I glared up at the man, and he grabbed my arm.  
"I'd suggest you don't oppose me... Or I'll make it hurt..."

My eyes widened as he pushed me back, forcing his lips to mine.  
I shoved against him, attempting to protest.  
We wrestled against each other in the genkan and the small step tripped us, causing us to topple over on the floor.  
I punched the man, and he slapped me in turn.  
Scooting backwards, I attempted to kick, scratch or punch him an any way possible, wishing I had my sword nearby or a knife.  
Realizing my boots, I allowed him to kiss me with little opposition, just to sneak my dagger into my hand.  
The room fell silent, as I slipped my hand around it.  
I was leaning up onto my elbows, being careful not to draw attention to my hand.  
He didn't seem to realize my slow movements, until I had the blade positioned at the meeting of his jaw and neck.  
The one eyed man froze and glared at me.

Pulling away from him I mirrored his expression.  
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you now..."  
A smirk cracked his face, and the amusement danced back into his eye.  
"Because you'll never find your sister..."  
My eyes widened, and I realized he was right.  
Even if she was at the warehouse, I didn't know my way around.  
I knew there were secret rooms that only him and Kawakami knew of.  
He slowly grabbed my wrist, and pushed my blade away.

"I expected this much from you. This will be entertaining... Come to the warehouse tonight.  
You will stay with me, and I will release your beloved Onee-san.  
I must warn you - If you do not arrive on time I'll kill her - After I have my fun that is."

I stared up at the man wide eyed. He was obviously having fun with me.  
He had already known she was older, he knew how important she was to me, and he knew I wouldn't kill him if he had her hidden.

"Tonight you will be mine..." He reconnected our lips but lowered his hands to my yukata, pulling it open.  
Knowing that I truly had no choice but to play this off and let him think he had won, I didn't make a sound.  
When he pulled away from me he flashed a winning smirk and stood up.  
"I'll see you... All of you, tonight... And one more thing. Bring your sword... But don't try to use it..."  
Leaving it at that he opened the door and exited my apartment.

Alone, I remained in place overcome with defeat. I allowed my upper body and head to fall back onto the carpet.  
'What do I do? What can I do?'

Panic crept over me and I stared at the ceiling, trying to devise a plan.  
The only thing I really wanted to do was tell somebody - anybody - of what had just happened.  
Who could I go to? Maybe Hijikata.  
No.  
Gintoki.

* * *

Standing outside of the Yorozura I knocked lightly against the side of the door.  
It took a few moments before Kagura answered me.  
"Oh! Eyebrow-San! Why are you here?" She seemed happy to see me, and I felt my eyes tearing up.  
"I- I-"  
On the way there I could do nothing but replay Takasugi's words in my mind.  
My eyes had begun to burn, and a painful lump had grown in my throat.  
"Eyebrow-San?" The girl stared at me wide eyed, frowning.  
I sniffled, and threw my arms around her.  
"Kagura-Chan..."  
She froze in place, probably not sure how to react.  
Soon she started yelling.  
"Gin-Chan! Gin-Chan! Something's wrong with Eyebrow-San!"

I remained in place, not sure of what to do. I didn't want to move.  
Greif had struck my heart, and I worried for Chizuru.  
What had they done to her? Was she okay? Had they hurt her?

Footsteps approached us, and soon Shinpachi and Gintoki stood a few meters behind Kagura.  
They watched silently, and I fought back the violent sniffles that seemed to force their way out. I couldn't cry.  
I hadn't cried in years. Closing my eyes I tried to will the tears away.

Soon a hand was placed on my shoulder, and I peered up to find Gintoki staring down at me with an oddly soft expression.

"What happened?" Gintoki asked.  
They had some how gotten me inside, and I sat on the floor of his room.  
He told Kagura and Shinpachi to leave us alone, and I stared down at the tatami floor beneath me.  
I sniffled, and peered up at him. The remorse must had been apparent in my expression, because he shifted his gaze.  
"Don't look at me like that... Is this about what happened on that ship?  
I'm not telling any one, if that's what you're worried about. It's not my business if you want to be a murderer."  
His words didn't help. At all.

My eyes began to burn again, and I took a deep breath.  
"I'm not... I- This isn't about me... Or you. My- My sister..."  
Now he stared at me, frowning.  
"Sister?"  
I nodded, wiping my eyes which had started to well.  
"T- Takasugi... He has my sister... He- He wants me to..." I couldn't bare to complete the sentence.  
Gintoki remained silent, studying me. I didn't want him to see me like this.  
I didn't want to ask anything of him.

"You don't think you brought this upon yourself? If you play with water - You'll get wet, and drown."  
Now it was my turn to frown. I gazed at the man from behind teary lenses.  
"I don't think that's how is goes... Don't they say fire?"  
"No. It's water." He shook his head.  
"But _fire_ would be more appropriate at this time..." I pointed out.

"So what do you want from me?"  
I stared at the man, my eyes widening.  
It would have been simple to just say help.  
But I couldn't ask.  
Instead I picked myself up, and turned towards the door.  
"Nothing..."

He stood up as well and walked over to me, placing a hand on my shoulder.  
"I don't want to see you drown in your sorrows... Your tears..."  
I gazed at him over my shoulder before dropping, and shaking my head..  
"D- Don't worry about it. It's not like we're involved or anything.  
You have no obligation to assist me. It was stupid; to come here, and expect anything..."

Pulling away from the man I left. I didn't offer any words to Kagura, or Shinpachi, just exited the building.  
I had to get to Chizuru.


	50. The Intricate Trap

"Ah, you're here." Kawakami stood in the doorway of the ware house staring at me with a blank expression.  
"I would recognize that tune anywhere... It's been a while. How are you?"  
I glared up at the man in response.  
'How dare he speak to me as if nothing was happening.'  
The man extended his hand towards me, and I stared at it oddly.  
"Your sword..."  
I grabbed the handle, and stepped away from him.  
"No." My voice was low and he shook his head.  
Placing one hand over mine around the handle and the other on my yukata he pulled my inside, kicking the door closed.  
Shoving me against the wall, he pinned me against it with his forearm.  
"Stop fighting... You'll get hurt, or die. So will she, I dare say."  
The words caused me to freeze and I stared up at him, my eyebrows raising in worry.

After taking my sword, and it's sheath, he spoke to me.  
"Shinsuke is waiting for you."  
I nodded to him, feeling as if the events of the day had completely drained me.  
The man leaned away, freeing me, and motioned for me to come with him.  
Following behind Kawakami I examined each door we passed wondering which one was hiding my dear Chizuru.  
When we reached the room Kawakami stood beside the door.  
I couldn't tell if he was looking at me or not, but I glared at him one last time before opening the door.

"Shouldn't you knock first?" Takasugi scowled at me when I entered.  
I paid him no mind and walked to the desk that he had once choked me on.  
He stood across the room by a dresser. The man appeared to be examining himself in the mirror, and I leaned on the desk.  
"You know... Dead men should stay in the grave..."  
I flashed him dark look and he chuckled.  
"Oh, so you heard about that? What fools..."

A moment of silence passed and he walked to my side.  
"So, are you ready to become mine?"  
I dropped my gaze, and he snickered at the reaction.  
A single finger pulled my jaw up, forcing me to meet his gaze.  
"Oh come on now... Where's that strong will of yours? Will you not fight?"  
I didn't respond and he smirked at me.  
"I guess it's better this way... At least, for you.  
It would be a shame if you fell from a window again - Only to find that you're training hasn't taught you how to land on a bed of nails..."

Snickering again he released my jaw, tapping it before lowering his hand.  
Without a word he started tugging at my clothes. I wrapped my arms around myself dropping my gaze once more.  
"Wait- Wait!"  
His movements slowed, yet he still attempted to unwrap me.  
"Are you nervous? Scared? You should be..."

"No - I'm not. I just..." Pushing his hands away, I peered up at him.  
"You have to prove that you're gonna let her go... I won't let you have me until I know she is safe..."  
He glared at me, but nodded.  
"Very well then..."  
Turning away he walked to the door.  
"Come with me."

I followed Takasugi around the hall until he came to a large door.  
Pulling a key from his pocket he unlocked said door, and led me inside.

* * *

"Ch- Chizuru!" I gasped her name at the sight of the girl suspended by chains from the ceiling.  
She was about ten feet over head, and I gaped in horror.  
She had almost nothing on, only undergarments.  
She was bound by ropes which connected to the chains, and her arms were behind her back.  
It had to be her. Though there was a bag over her head her body looked like mine, and her hair was the same color.  
"Rein? Rein?!" she began to squirm and the chain allowed her to swing from side to side.

"Satisfied?" Takasugi asked with a smirk.  
I could barely pry my eyes from Chizuru, I turned to face him.  
"No, you have to let her go first!"  
He chuckled at me and shook his head.  
"You have to hold your end of the deal first."

Unable to accept his answer I scowled.  
"Let her go! You can do as you please then - but only then."  
His smirk widened into a grin and he shook his head.  
"How do I know you won't try to escape afterwards?"  
I shifted my gaze from the man back to Chizuru.  
_'He's toying with me... He won't let her go even if I do go through with this...'  
_Upon realizing this I knew I had to act fast.  
Without thinking about it I took a step towards Takasugi.  
"Sir, I assure you, there is no need to doubt my word."

He raised his eyebrow at me, focusing his eye on mine.  
"Really? So how will you prove that? She goes no where until I am satisfied..."  
Angered by his tone, I moved.  
I kicked him in the shin, and shoved the man to the ground.

Knowing that I didn't have much time left I ignored his cry of surprise, and dashed to the nearest stair case.  
It was a long metal structure, and though it was a sort of square spiral it led straight to Chizuru's side.  
_'This is too easy... It's almost like-'_  
Pushing the thought out of my mind, I ran up the stairs, determined not to stop until I was by her side.  
"Chi! Chi! I'm coming!"

"STOP HER! HURRY UP! DON'T LET HER SEE!"  
Almost out of nowhere Kawakami entered the room, and walked to a small panel by the stairs.  
I only had two more corners to round before I reached her.  
"Do it! She's made a grave mistake now..." I head Takasugi speak, but ignored him.  
A loud click filled the air, and before I could reach her, the hold on the chain released.  
A scream pierced my ears, accompanied with the sound of metal scraping against itself.  
Chizuru plunged past me, and to the floor below.  
"REEEIIIIIINNNNNN!"  
I screamed with her - I couldn't help it.  
"CHI! CHI! CHIZURU! NO!"

A sickening crunch filled the air and I gaped in horror at the sight of a pool of blood forming around my sister - My only family.  
Hot tears stung my eyes pouring down my face, and I switched directions running down.  
When I was close enough to the ground I lept over the rail and to the floor, rushing to Chizuru's side.  
I pulled her limp body into my arms, not caring about the blood that had begun to stain my yukata.  
"Chi... Chi, I'm so sorry... I couldn't..."  
The second I pulled the bag from over her head, I froze. It was somebody else.  
It wasn't Chizuru. It couldn't be. Her eyes were a different color, her face was completely different.  
"Huh? Y-You're not-"  
I was interrupted by a wild laugh. It was more of a cackle then anything.  
I gasped at the sound, but before I could move I was struck in the back of my head with something blunt.  
My breath caught in my throat, and my eyes widened. My vision blurred, and immediately failed me.


	51. Family Reunion

"Reeeiinn. Imouto, wake up..."  
"Hmm?" I stirred slightly, overcome with a groggy feeling.  
A splitting headache forced me to open my eyes, and when I did I waited for my blurred vision to clear.  
A woman was standing over me, and it took me a moment to realize who it was.  
At first I thought it was myself, but soon I realized it was Chizuru.  
"Chi! Chi! Thank god! Are you okay? Are you hurt?"  
She nodded silently.  
"I'm fine. How about you, dear sister?"  
She sort of giggled at the end of her sentence, and I frowned.  
_'Why is she laughing at a time like this?'  
_"What happened? Why are you here?" I attempted to stand up, but found that I couldn't.  
I was restrained.  
I could only stand on my knees, but no farther.  
The sound of chains scraping against the concrete floor caused me to stop.  
Turning to look at myself I found that my clothes had been changed.  
I was wearing a white robe that was barely thinner then a yukata, the same thing as Chizuru.  
My wrists were chained to my ankles and the middle of the chains were attached to the wall.  
I was bare foot; my boots had been taken.  
The room was dark, and cold. The air was moist, and stale.

"You got knocked out. And I came to see you... To reclaim what is mine... It's about time you woke up... It's almost been a week..."  
"What? A week?" I stared at her confused.  
"Yeah. How troublesome. I didn't think you would bleed so much... We've kept you clean through..."  
Her lips twisted into an odd smirk, only furthering my befuddlement.  
"What is this? Chi, help me! Help me get out of these..." I motioned to the chains with my head, and she laughed.  
She laughed at me. Her voice was wild; sinister. It sounded like a witch's cackle, and my jaw dropped.

"That- is to keep you from- SNRK! Hurting yourself!" She tilted her head, peering at the floor below her feet.  
"You'll be cozy, don't worry about it..." She snorted in amusement, and I felt my heart drop.  
"Chi? Is that really you? Why? Why are you doing this?! I came to help you, and this is how you repay me?!"  
The confusion inside of me mixed with anger, and she flashed me an amused expression.  
"Of course it's me, dumb ass. And you know why... DON'T PLAY DUMB!" She snickered again, placing her fist to her mouth.

"What? What are you talking about? Chi?" Falling silent the girl froze in place.  
Her arms hung limply at her sides, and she glared up at me.  
"Don't call me that. Don't act like you ever cared... You left me...  
And now you come and act as if you were trying to save me? I'm not like you!  
I would never allow myself to be placed in such a position... I just want what is rightfully mine..."

"What are you talking about? What are you after?" Standing on my knees, I gazed up at her, and she smirked darkly.  
"You knew I wanted it... The older sister is supposed to be better... At everything... But with this - it proves it..."  
Reaching to a sheath at her side she pulled out her blade. It was MY blade.  
Master's blade.  
"What the- That's mine! What the fuck are you-"  
I froze when she pointed the blade at me.  
"My, my, little sister, you've developed quite a colorful vocabulary..."  
She placed the blade under my chin, and forced me to look up.  
I gazed down at her, and she chuckled.  
"Such a pretty neck... You really do look like me... I wonder how I would look dead?  
Would you like to show me?" She snickered, and I glared at her.

_'This isn't right... Why is she doing this? What have I done to her?'_

"So foolish, little sister. So gullible... This sword is rightfully mine...  
I deserve it. I worked hard for it. It wasn't fair... That you got to leave and take such a treasure...  
That you are the only one with the true memory of master... When he died, I-"  
Her gaze lowered and she sighed deeply, moving the sword from my neck.  
"I knew I had to retrieve it..."

"He's dead?" I gasped the words and she laughed.  
"Oh you didn't hear? The old man's death was fit for one such as him...  
Fit for a pig - not even that - A rat..." She attempted to stifle a wave of laughter.  
Her words angered me, and I lunged forward.

"HOW COULD YOU SAY SUCH A THING?!  
HOW COULD YOU INSULT HIM IN SUCH A WAY?!  
HE TOOK US IN CHIZURU! WHEN WE HAD NO HOME, NO FAMILY!  
NO WHERE TO SLEEP, NOTHING TO EAT! WE ATE OUT OF DUMPSTERS, FOR GOD'S SAKE! HOW DARE YOU!"

I struggled against the chains, and she laughed once more.  
"Oh, did I strike a sore spot? Even though that very man sent you away?  
I hated him for it... For the rest of his life. But he must have known...  
Known that I planned to kill you. If it wasn't for that stupid cookie... If it wasn't for that damn mystic..."  
She fell silent, and glared at me.  
I could feel the hate from within her soul, the raw emotion filled the room, causing the air to grow thick.  
The shackles around my wrists began to cut me, and I gave up trying to break free.

"You left me... You refused to take me with you...  
Big sister's are supposed to protect their younger siblings...  
I told you I would. We pinky swore... And you left..."

Feeling as though I could get through to her I shook my head.  
"I didn't want to... I had no choice! But, didn't you just say you were going to kill me? before I got the cookie?"

"Hn- Snrk- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!"  
She exploded into a joyous chorus of laughter and I remained in place; what else could I do?  
She gripped her stomach, and leaned back, allowing the humor to shake her body.  
When the wave of amusement had passed she glared at me.  
"You always had a knack for the sword... I couldn't let you win... I couldn't let you..."

Silence fell over us, and I never shifted my gaze from the woman before me.  
We weren't twins; she was two years older then me but it was still eerie,  
as if I was looking into a mirror that made me look crazy.  
As if my reflection was running amok before my eyes.

Off in the darkness a door creaked open, and footsteps started towards us.  
"Chi, we have company. Remember the plan?" It was Takasugi, and he entered the dim light followed by Kawakami.  
They stood on either side of Chizuru, and she grinned up at him.  
"Yes, M'lord."  
Takasugi wrapped his arm around her waist, and she leaned back into him.  
His free hand pulled her jaw up, and their lips met in a long passionate kiss.  
Kawakami watched them, and I gaped in horror at the scene.  
When their lips parted, Chizuru extended her arms towards Kawakami.  
"Bansai..." She breathed the name, grinning, and connected their lips as well.

_'What the fuck is going on here?!' _My jaw dropped and I stared wide eyed.  
_'My reflection is a whore!'_

They both had their arms around her, Takasugi holding her waist, and Bansai with an arm around her shoulders.  
When she broke the kiss off she smirked at me.  
"What's with that face little sister? Have you not become a real woman yet?"  
I dropped my gaze tilting my head to the side, and clenching my teeth.  
I knew I shouldn't but I felt shame creep over me.  
"You haven't? Really? No shit?"  
"I- I'm a woman..." I responded in a low tone, and she laughed.  
"You're gonna have fun with her..." She peered up at Takasugi, offering a wide, sinister grin.  
He nodded, and motioned to her sword - MY sword.  
"Come on, it's time to get in place..."

Nodding Chizuru, handed him the blade.  
She walked over to my side and Kawakami followed behind her.  
He connected identical chains to her ankles and wrists, and she purred some sort of approving note.  
I stared at them wondering what the hell was going on.  
"Come on, Bansai, lets leave before he get's here... We can handle it later..."  
Kawakami nodded, and they left the room.

"Let's see who can be a better you... Let's see who this one prefers..."  
She sneered the words at me, and I raised an eyebrow at her wondering what the hell was going on.


	52. The Real Rein

The door creaked open, and foot steps started towards us.  
"Rein!"  
It was a familiar voice; a man's.  
When he was in the dim light my eyes widened. Leaning forward until the chains snapped in restriction, I called out to him.  
"GINTOKI!" There was an echo to my voice, and I peered at Chizuru.  
She was also leaned forward, and looking at me.  
She had called him as well, and when I peered up at Gintoki he looked confused; freaked out.  
"Gintoki, Gintoki, it's me! I'm the real Rein! Please save me! Help me!" I pleaded to him and he frowned at me.  
"No- Don't believe her! Gintoki, you know me! Don't let her deceive you!" Chizuru called to him, sounding just as desperate as me.

He shifted his gaze between the us, still frowning.  
"What the fuck?" he muttered under his breath and I shook my head.  
"Gin- please listen to me! It was a trap! It was a trap! This is too! Gin run! They're gonna come in here!"

Chizuru immediately spoke after me.  
"Don't listen to her! Gintoki, she's trying to trick you! You know me!  
It was a trap, but she's not telling you everything! She's dating them! She's on their side!"  
I peered at Chizuru scowling.  
"What?! Don't say such a thing about me! I would never! I haven't-"  
"Gintoki, she's a lair! She- She-" A loud sniffle filled the air, and I peered at Chizuru.  
She had started the water works, and my eyes widened.  
"She tried to kill me... My own sister... I don't know why... What have I done to deserve this?"  
I watched her silently, before turning to face Gintoki.

"Gin, please... Don't listen to her, you know better...  
We spent enough time together for you to be able to tell me from her...  
I'm hungry... I'm tired... They took my sword... They- They-...  
I though it was Chizuru- They dropped her, but it wasn't her... It wasn't her!"  
Now I felt my eyes begin to burn. I didn't know what would happen if he picked her. I didn't want to find out.

"Don't listen to that bitch! She's just trying to make you feel bad for her...  
Takasugi and Kawakami will come and unlock her chains the moment she's left alone."  
Gintoki placed a hand to his chin, and nodded.  
"Okay, okay, you two shut up. I'm gonna ask you some questions."

We nodded in unison, and he took a step towards us.  
"First, where's the key?"

Chizuru motioned towards a dark corner.  
"I think they threw it over there... I don't know why they would, though. It doesn't make sense."  
He nodded, and walked to the corner. Just as she had said he found the key.

"Alright, what's my favorite thing to drink."  
"Strawberry milk." We both answered in unison.  
I glared at Chizuru, and she mimicked my expression.

"A-Alright... What's my favorite thing to eat?"  
"Sweets!" We both exclaimed, and once again we glared at each other.

"When's my birthday?"

"I don't know that dumb ass!" I yelled at the man.  
"Ummm..." Chizuru tilted her head to the side.

Gintoki laughed, but then resumed with a serious demeanor.  
"When did we meet?"  
"We were fighting! During my job, and I got stabbed..." I sighed loudly as I spoke.  
"In the bath house!" Chizuru exclaimed. We stared at each other, and Gintoki nodded.

"We didn't officially meet until we were in the bath house... You thought you could trick me?"  
He pointed the key towards me, and my eyes widened.  
"GIN! GIN! Please! Don't help her! That was the first time we saw each other!"  
He shook his head.

"But we still hadn't met.  
The_ real_ Rein would know that the first time she found out who I am was in the bath house.  
And she calls me Gintoki, not Gin... Get your facts straight... "

He smirked at me, and I stared at him in pure shock.  
"Nice try..." He muttered the words under his breath and he moved to Chizuru's side and started unlocking the shackles around her.

"Thank you so much Gintoki... I don't know what I would have done without you.  
I owe you my life..." She placed a hand over her heart as she spoke.  
He shrugged it off, and started away.  
"Don't get all mushy on me." He responded, but she grabbed his shoulder.

"Wait, I- I want you to have me... My virginity..."

Both mine, and Gin's eyed widened. We stared at her, stunned.  
Gintoki leaned back, and she followed after him. Chizuru placed her hand on his chest, and he backed away.  
"Don't run... It's only right if we..."  
She attempted to kiss him, and I felt rage boil within me.  
"DON'T FUCKING TOUCH HIM! WHORE! GET AWAY FROM HIM! GIN, I'LL START TRYING TO KILL YOU AGAIN IF YOU KISS HER!"

He gazed at me, with eyes as large as plates.  
"Oh shit..." As soon as the words escaped his lips he shoved her back towards me.  
"Oi! OI! What are you doing! Gintoki! Gintoki!"  
He forced her back into her chains, and started unlocking my shackles.  
"I just remembered- Rein calls me Gin sometimes!"

He freed me, and grabbed my wrist. I tried to stand, but immediately fell to the ground.  
We tried again, only to receive the same results.  
Gintoki placed an arm around me, to soften the fall, and lower me down.  
"What's wrong with your legs?" He asked and I sat on the ground, staring at my lap.

"I don't know... It's no use... I'm sorry. I can't leave. I can't walk...  
Gintoki, just leave me here... Don't waste your time on me... We aren't even-  
You don't even want to see me any more... Not since-"

"Shut up. " He cut me off, and ran a hand through his hair.  
"Hmm, this is troublesome... What a bother..."

"SNRK- HAHAHAHA-" Chizuru continued to laugh maniacally, and I peered at her.  
"You- You're so- Fucking stupid!"  
Gintoki stared down at her, startled.  
Groaning in a combination of frustration and exhaustion, I reached around and smack Chizuru as hard as I could.  
She stopped, and her head fell. Her dark hair covered her face and I stared at her.  
"Shut the fuck up... We don't have time for this. Gin- Please, just leave... I don't-"  
"It's rude to treat your elders in such a manner... You will die... To atone for your sins... Your betrayal..."

Chizuru started to snicker again, and I peered up at Gintoki.  
"I can manage... I just need my sword..."  
He raised an eyebrow at me.  
"To do what? Cut people's legs?"

I scowled at him, and attempted to stand again.  
"I'm fine... I can fight..."

After the second attempt I succeeded. My legs were heavy, and I grabbed onto Gintoki to stable myself.  
He peered down at me and I muttered an apology.

"Let's get out of here... Let's get my sword first though..."  
He nodded, and wrapped his arm around my back.  
The man offered an immense amount of support, and we started away.  
"Where is it?"  
"Takasugi has it... I don't know where he is, but this is a trap..."  
He nodded and Chizuru started chuckling behind us.  
"You're both gonna die. Die, die, die~" She started singing the word over and over, and we peered at her over our shoulders.  
"She's creepy... Much more creepy then you." He stated.  
I Gazed up at him rolling my eyes.  
"I'm not creepy!"

When we opened the door Gintoki peered in the hallway.  
"It's clear, come on..."  
He helped me out, and closed the door behind us.  
"They're not just gonna let us walk out of here... Not this easily..."  
He nodded, but still didn't stop.


	53. Demonstrating Strength

"My sword!"  
Gintoki had persuaded me to move towards the exit instead of looking for Takasugi.  
He stopped pushing me forward, and I let go of him. Slowly walking towards my blade I reached to it.  
Before my hand could connect with it Gintoki called out to me.  
"Rein!"  
I had seen the motion out of the corner of my eye as well, and move back as quickly as my legs permitted.  
A blade swung past my hand, and I traced the object with my eyes to the man holding it.

"Kawakami - What the fuck..." He stopped and stared at me blankly.  
"I told him not to speak to you... It's pretty obvious that he enjoys your song... but it's time to turn _that_ off."  
Takasugi stepped around the corner from behind Kawakami.  
He peered at Gintoki, and narrowed his eye. An amused smirk curled his lips, and he shifted his gaze to me.  
"You were useful while you lasted - But if you plan on being this annoying-"  
"Didn't I tell you the next time I saw you I would kill you?" Gintoki interrupted him, and he peered at the man, scowling.  
"And I recall saying the same to you..."  
Takasugi held his blade in one hand, ready to strike.  
"But first things first..."  
Without hesitation Takasugi swung his blade towards me.  
I attempted to step back, but my legs refused to cooperate.  
I stumbled backwards, and Takasugi's sword was caught by Gintoki's bokken.

"You've made a big mistake... Damn it, move Rein!"  
I stared up at Gintoki and nodded.  
Scooting away I watched as the two men started to furiously accost each other.  
_'It- It's amazing...'_

The expression on Gintoki's face was the most amazing thing. He focused intensely on Takasugi, and his determination was obvious.  
Takasugi pushed him backwards, and he obliged, only to move behind the man and strike his arm.  
There was no blood, as the bokken wasn't sharp at all, but the pain was obvious.  
They moved across the room, and the fight could only be described as a dance.

Raising to my feet, I leaned against the wall to steady myself.  
Bansai was focused on their fight and I saw a clear opening to my sword.  
It was right beside me, I could almost feel it in my palm.

I slowly reached towards the blade, and the moment I touched it the point of a sword was in my face.  
"If you grab that sword, you will have to fight me, I dare say. Are you willing to take that responsibility in such a condition?"  
I peered at Kawakami, who hadn't even turned to face me.  
I yanked my sword from the indent in the wall, and pushed his blade away with the sheath.  
"Didn't your boss tell you not to speak?" I sneered.  
He peered at me, smirking.

Kawakami immediately swung at me, and I stumbled back unsheathing my blade.  
The sound of metal and wood colliding filled the air, as well as grunts of effort from Gintoki and Takasugi.

_'I've got to stay on my feet...'_

Kawakami gave me no opening, or opportunity.  
He swung quickly, and precisely, forcing me to block every movement he made.  
I succeeded in defending myself, but it was apparent that I would not be able to strike him back.

He swung wide and I jumped back, managing to stay up.  
The man offered me another smirk, and swung high.  
This time I caught his blade with mine, and he pushed me back.  
I slammed against the wall, crying out.  
He pinned me in place, and pushed my blade against my chest.  
"Give up..."  
I shook my head, and he snickered.

Without thinking about it I gazed at Gintoki, noting his quick movements.  
It was as if every strike had been carefully calculated.  
"Don't look at him, look at me!"  
Kawakami snarled the words and gripped my hand over the handle of my sword.  
I scowled at him shoving him away, but he tightened his grip on my hand, forcing me to drop the sword.  
"Damn it! What the fuck is going on here?!"  
Yelling the words I struggled against him. He lowered his sword, and placed a hand on my shoulder holding me in place.

"Bansai! I told you she's mine!"  
Kawakami stared at me, as if he was contemplating whether or not he would move.  
"Don't touch her!" Gintoki shouted. Both men glared at each other.  
"You won't have her..." Gintoki growled.  
"I already do..." Takasugi responded.

They started to move towards us, fighting the whole way.  
The one eyed man swung his blade, but Gintoki was agile enough to move backwards; out of the way.  
Gintoki lept around Takasugi, striking the man in the side.  
In turn Takasugi turned and cut his leg as he stumbled forward.  
Ignoring the wound, Gintoki continued towards us.  
Kawakami scowled, and placed a hand to my throat.  
"You..."  
With that single word he turned to face Gintoki, swinging.  
Gintoki stepped back, evading the attack.  
"Damn it- Guards! Get in here!" Takasugi stood behind Gintoki, scowling.  
Kawakami and Gintoki started swinging at each other, both dodging every deadly movement of the opposing man's sword.

I picked up my blade and joined into the battle, fighting beside the man who protected me.  
Kawakami was forced into a defensive stance, unable to attack with both Gintoki and myself opposing him.

"Bansai- come on! They're here. We need to release Chizuru..." Takasugi called to the man impatiently.  
He nodded silently leaping back.  
Offering a smirk Kawakami retreated, as groups of Amanto began to flood the room.

Sighing, Gintoki turned to me.  
"Don't try to fight damn it. You're just going to get in the way."  
He was deathly serious, and handed me his bokken. I took it, and he pulled my sword from my finger tips.  
"This is getting annoying..."

After flashing me a small smile, he rushed towards the Amanto.  
Though it seemed like a large amount for one man to fight, Gintoki tore through the crowd as if it was nothing.  
I watched the man surrounded by a sea of liquid rubies and amethyst.  
My pulse quickened at the sight, and I felt something stir inside of me.

Averting my gaze, I settled my sight on a small pouch on the ground. It was mine, and I grabbed it.  
_'Kawakami must have dropped it...' _Pulling it over my hand, I continued to watch Gintoki.  
He lept through the Amanto, and soon there were only a few left.  
They stared at the man, obviously scared.  
He stood still in the middle of the mess he had made.  
Corpses of his victims, his enemies, littered the floor. The man had bits of crimson in his hair, and on his face.  
The remaining Amanto fled, and he turned back to me.  
"Come on..."

The silver samurai walked to my side, and I nodded.  
We started towards the door, and I found my mind wandering into forbidden territory.  
"G- Gin?"  
He turned to face me and the moment he did I grabbed his yukata, and captured his lips.  
He seemed stunned by my action, yet offered little resistance.  
After a moment he nudged me back.  
"Here? Really? You couldn't wait until we got some where with less people trying to kill us?"  
Shifting my gaze I nodded.

Outside, Gintoki's moped had been waiting for us. We got on, and he sped away.  
I wrapped my arms around his torso, feeling incredibly warm.  
Despite everything that had happened before he found me, I wanted nothing more then to have him back in my apartment.


	54. Expressing Fondness

"You gonna be okay?" Sitting on his moped Gintoki peered up and me, and I offered a slight nod.  
"Yeah... Will you come up with me? I- I want to thank you..."  
He raised an eyebrow at me, and I shifted my gaze.  
"I should have some strawberry milk in the fridge..."  
The man offered me a slight nod, and I watched as he parked his moped.  
Soon he was by my side, and we walked up the stairs of the apartment complex.  
My heart began to pound, as I fumbled with the keys to my door.  
Gintoki was watching me, and it only made me more nervous.

The door creaked open, and we walked inside.  
He was right behind me, and I turned to face him.  
"Thank you... For that." He tilted his head down in a half assed nod, and I softly chewed on my lower lip.  
Blood still remained in his hair, and on his face, but for some reason, it turned me on.  
I couldn't explain why, and I stared at the smudges of crimson.  
"What? What is it?" He asked, and it occured to me that my thoughts must be apparent on my face.  
Instead of answering, I pushed him back against the door. It closed, and he stared down at me.  
"You..." Inching closer to his lips, I smirked.  
"You're amazing..."

He held his hands out, as if he didn't know what do to.  
I leaned into his chest, and caught his lips, practically attacking him.  
After a few seconds the man slid his arms around my body, and I reached to lock the door.  
He walked me backwards, and we almost triped over the step of the genkan.  
A small dining table blocked our way, and he pushed me back against it.  
Our tongues met, and I slid his yukata from his shoulders.  
Pulling away from me, Gintoki smirked.  
"Shit, did I get the wrong one again?"

Returning his smile I pushed off of the table, and roughly reconnected our lips.  
I grabbed the man's shirt, shoving him in the direction of my bedroom.  
"Wait- Wait-"  
He tried to pull away from me, but I wouldn't free him.  
Chuckling lightly he tightly gripped my shoulders, and moved me back.  
"Wait a second. Was what your sister said true?"  
Stopping, I stared up at him.  
"What?" I asked curiously.  
"You know... About you. That you haven't ever-"  
"Shut up!"  
Cutting him off, I forced him back towards the room.  
He didn't resist me, and pulled my white robe open.  
Instead of being patient enough to wait until we reached the room, he shoved me against one of the hall walls.  
I focused on loosening the buttons of his shirt, and slid my arms from the robe around me, permitting it to drop to the floor.  
His hand landed on my waist, and I felt goose bumps raise on my skin.  
It was an odd feeling, but in a good way.

A small moan parted my lips, as his hands traced over my body.  
His shirt, fell open, and I pushed it off of him.  
He quickly pulled it from his arms, and let it fall to the ground.  
Slamming him to the opposite wall, I wrapped my arms around his neck.  
He grunted in what I could only assume was pleasure as he connected with the wall.  
Our kiss intensified, and a familiar tune interrupted us.  
We stopped, and gazed in the direction of the living room.  
"Fuck it." I breathed the words, and pulled his jaw back to mine.  
Walking backwards I used the arm around his shoulders to quickly lead him to my bedroom, not giving him a chance to escape.

Once inside, I traced my fingers over the firm ridges of his muscles and to his pants.  
Easily freeing him of them I moaned as his lips moved from mine, and to my neck.  
He shoved me into the wall beside my futon, and started tearing at the medical wrap around my chest.  
Quickly unraveling it he ran his hand up my side and to my nipple, rolling it in his fingers.  
I gasped lightly at the sensation.

"You must be..."  
I almost didn't hear him, but he pulled away from my neck.  
Our eyes met, and he stared at me intently.  
"If you haven't done this before I don't want to be the first..."  
Frowning, I allowed my arm to fall from his shoulder, settling on his chest.  
"What?"

"You don't have the experience... Women tend to get clingy..."  
He shifted his gaze, and I sighed.  
"I already am..."  
Pulling him back to me, I offered no escape.  
He placed his hands on the wall beside me, and I slowly ran the tips of my fingers down to his boxers.  
When I grabbed them, he leaned away from me.  
"Gintoki... Don't stop - Come on..."

He remained in place, refusing to look at me.  
It was as if he was stuck in a moment of deep contemplation.  
"Giinn..."  
Peering at me the man studied my body, before shifting his gaze again.  
Without warning he crashed his lips back into mine and wrapped an arm around the small of my back.  
"Don't- Beg me... You don't- Have to..." Some how managing to growl the words in, he pulled me against himself.  
With the way he was pulling, I started to slide down the wall, and he slid with me.  
Soon I was sitting on the floor, and he knelt between my legs still offering light kisses.

"Are you sure?"  
His question was unexpected, but I nodded in response.  
He peered at the futon on the floor and suddenly grabbed me, pulling me onto it.  
It became apparent that he wasn't exactly a soft person.  
There was a reason why he enjoyed slamming each other around the hall, or a fight could turn into some form of intimacy.  
He obviously liked it, and it would be a lie if I claimed be different.

The man allowed me to free him from his boxers.  
He groaned into my lips and I wrapped my hand around him, surprised to find that he was already solid.  
I felt a tug at my panties, and my heart felt as though it would explode.  
Nervousness had consumed me, and I looked away from him unintentionally breaking the contact of our lips.  
He didn't seem to mind, and a heavy silence hung around us.  
He continued to pull at my underwear and I bit my lip, hoping to suppress the awkward feeling that threatened to approach me.  
"Nervous?" I peered up at him, holding and arm over my chest.  
He was gazing down at me, and I shook my head.  
It was an obvious lie but he didn't call me on it, just locked my lips in a forceful kiss, and tore the fabric away.

My body tensed as he ran a hand up the skin of my thigh, and to my most private area.  
"Calm down..."  
I nodded, and propped myself up on my elbows.  
"Sorry... I don't mean to be so-"  
"Don't apologize." He held my gaze, and immediately his tongue began to tease my sensitive middle.  
The sensation arched my back, and I clutched the sheets beneath me.  
Panting in pleasure I moved a hand to his hair.  
He immediately stopped at peered up at me.  
"Don't pull it..."  
I nodded in response, and he continued.  
His tongue flicked over a sensitive spot, and unknowingly, I tightened my grip.  
Leaning up he glared at me, and I guiltily averted my gaze.  
Gintoki crawled back over me, and locked his eyes to mine.  
"You're still nervous? Didn't I tell you before? Stop thinking..."  
I couldn't answer, as he was teasing me with his fingers.  
My body writhed in pleasure, and I bit my lip in an attempt to stifle the soft mews that threatened to part my lips.

He pushed his lips to mine, and as he did, he also pushed a finger inside of me.  
I cried out, and bit his lip.  
"Ahh..! That fucking hurt..."  
Running his tongue over his lip he nodded.  
"Yeah, well so did that."  
I shifted my gaze, muttering an apology.

It took a few minutes to get used to the feeling.  
He started to slowly push back and forth enticing small moans and pants from within me.  
I wrapped my arms around him, and he pulled out of me.  
"You were already wet..."

I felt him position himself at my entrance, and froze.  
He leaned into me placing his lips beside my ear.  
"Relax... It's gonna hurt more if you tense up like that..."  
I offered a slight nod, and he started to push against me.  
It was obvious that getting in was tedious, but soon his head parted me and I bit my lip.  
Instead of easing in, he pushed completely inside of me.  
Pain danced throughout my body, and I cried out, tensing in response; digging my nails into his flesh.  
He groaned at the sensation and froze in place, looking away.  
Soon, his eyes bore into me and he pushed deeper.  
The man seemed to be studying my reaction, but I was in no position to care.

Gintoki began to move, slowly at first, but each pump resulted in a quicker pace.  
Still not used to the feeling I moaned loudly, and whimpered at the pain which arched my back.  
He seemed to be enjoying the sounds, and leaned down over me causing me to lay back on the futon.  
His lips pressed to mine, and he roughly forced his tongue to meet with my own.

My moans were muffled by his mouth, and he joined in, though his voice was more of a husky pant.

The pain started to subside, and was replaced by a form of pleasure.  
Forced moans lowered in tone and I pulled him closer to myself, retracting my nails.  
I allowed one of my hands to slide up his neck and into his hair.  
His eyes met mine, and he seemed to be send some sort of message to me.  
_'Don't pull it?' _I echoed in my mind, but the temptation was too great.  
He had worked into a rhythm, and I attempted to join him.  
My free hand slid across his shoulder, chest, and abs, indulging the the curves of his firm muscles.  
Small goosebumps surfaced on his skin, and he pushed deeper, causing me to exhale the gratification he was providing.  
His lips parted from mine, and I leaned up, kissing, and licking his neck as he had done to me.  
He voiced his approval in the form low pant, and the sound made my heart rate increase.

The sensation of his actions danced up my spine, and the room grew warm.  
His skin burned against mine, and I tasted sweat on his neck.  
Placing a hand on my hip he rolled over, pulling me on top of him.  
I was slightly stunned, but started to move.  
Despite the fact that I was slower then him, he seemed to enjoy it.  
Leaning up, he placed his hands on my hips and took my nipple into his mouth.  
I was unable to keep from voicing my pleasure as his tongue flicked across such a sensitive spot.  
Before, I hadn't noticed how large his hands were, they completely covered my waist, and felt strong, even rough.  
His roughness colliding with my soft skin only excited me further.  
He tightened his teeth around me, and I continued to move into a new found rhythm.  
It was as if he completely filled me, there was no space unused.  
His hands tightened around my hips, and he started to moved me himself.  
Each time he pulled me down it felt as though he was deeper, and he ground our hips together.  
We groaned in unison, and he moved one of his hands to my clit.  
I jumped at the new sensation, and he began to rub the area.  
My walls twitched in response and he let out a low growl.  
Leaning on his chest, I paused.  
"G- Gintoki... I- I can't take it..."  
I panted the words, and he started pulling me down harder, rubbing faster.  
I felt my body muscles start to tense, and he must have felt it too.  
Moving quickly, he pulled me off of himself and positioned me on my hands and knees.

Without warning he pushed back inside of me, and gripped my chest.  
His free hand snaked around my waist, and back to my clit.  
He started to move inside of me once again, and my body locked up.  
"Gin... Giinnn-"  
His name forced it's way out, and a wave of pleasure washed over me; tightening my walls, and forcing me to clench the covers in my hands.  
He throbbed inside of me, only heightening the experience.

He didn't stop the entire time Pulling out of me, he beckoned me to lay back down.  
I did as instructed and he repositioned himself, pushing back inside of me.  
He slipped in much easier then before, and pulled my leg over his shoulder.  
Leaning over me, he placed his hands on the bed around me, and pushed his lips back into mine.

The man never stopped moving, and when his moans became pants, his motions became rough.  
He pushed deeper then he had dared to venture before, groaning a moment after me.  
Biting my lip he slammed into me, and I cried out in a mixture of pain, and ecstasy.  
Wrapping an arm around the small of my back, Gintoki's breath caught, and he held me firmly in place.  
I felt him spasm, and release deep inside of me; moaning in waves of pleasure.  
Soon he began to pant.  
He laid on top of me, attempting to catch his breath.  
Our sweat collided, as well as our entangled bodies, and he nuzzled into my neck.

Instead of saying anything, the Yorozura ran his tongue over my skin, and pulled out of me.  
He laid beside me pulling me into his arms.  
I peered down at the man on my shoulder, noting the content expression that had taken his face.  
A long, satisfied sigh was released from with in him, and his arms tightened around me.  
The room was still hot, and his skin burned against mine, but he didn't seem mind.  
His hand somehow found mine, and he laced our fingers together, offering me a tight squeeze of affection.

It felt as though words would shatter the bliss that had engulfed us, and we drifted off into sleep.  
It came easily. Especially with the lullaby of his breath beside me, and the steady beat of his heart, which had started to slow.

* * *

**_A/N: A nice long lemon, FTW! Yay, it finally happened! What's gonna happen next? Who knows?  
_****_Since it was her first time it couldn't be as wild as I wanted, but there's always the next time. :)_**  
**_Hope you enjoyed!_**


	55. Back to Reality

A ray of light which had settled across my eyes awoke me.  
Rolling over lazily, I was surprised to find an arm restricting me from moving too far.  
I turned to find Gintoki laying beside me, still sleeping.  
A cover had been pulled over us, and I could only assume he did it.  
His expression was so calm that I couldn't stop a small smile from cracking my lips.  
Slowly moving from under his arm, I left the room.  
_'What should I do? Should I cook or something? Well, I cooked last time even though we hadn't...  
I guess that would be a safe assumption... Shower first though...'_

Nodding to myself, I started my regular morning routine.  
The night before, I had completely forgotten about things that I needed, such as food. Mainly food.  
I was starving, and my stomach did not hesitate to let me know.  
After finishing my shower, I pulled on some fresh underclothes, and wrapped my shoulder and chest.  
The wounds I had acquired were fading, but medical wrap was just so comfortable I used it even when it wasn't necessary.  
I then made my way to the kitchen to prepare a small meal.

* * *

About an hour later, Gintoki came into the living room, scratching his head.  
He had wrapped the blanket from my bed around his waist, and walked up to me.  
"Morning."  
I offered a slight nod in response, and motioned to the stove.  
"There's food, if you're hungry."  
He nodded, and stared at the food I had prepared.  
"Thanks."  
Turning to face him I reached up, and grabbed the tip of one of his curls.  
It was coated in dried blood, and matted together.  
"Do you need a towel? For a shower?" Raising my eyebrow I spoke.  
He murmured a low "Yeah." and I motioned to a cabinet above the stove.  
"Plates are up there."  
With that I left to get his towel.

I hadn't mentioned it, but he held an odd expression. As if he was waiting for me to do something wrong.  
I didn't know what could really be wrong after what we did, but it was slightly unsettling.  
When I returned to the living room, he was sitting down at the table eating.  
I placed the towel on the table beside him without a word.  
Walking to the kitchen I made myself a plate.  
Instead of eating with him, I leaned against the refrigerator to eat alone.  
Soon Gintoki walked into the kitchen, and placed his plate in the sink.  
"Why are you all the way over here?" He raised an eyebrow as he spoke and I shrugged.  
"Well, last night you said that women get clingy... I'm just giving you your space."  
My answer seemed to surprise him, but he nodded and walked back to the table.  
After getting his towel, he walked towards the bathroom.

Finally full, I placed my dish in the sink as well.  
For some reason I was still exhausted.  
Yawning I started back towards my bedroom.  
_'It should be alright to rest today...'  
_Nodding at the thought I passed through the hallway.  
When I reached my futon, I practically plopped down into the sheets.  
It was soft enough to be able to fall into it, mostly unharmed.  
The previous night was still fresh in my mind, and while the morning wasn't the best, I still felt a sense of happiness.  
I had dozed off, but a light nudge caused me to stir.  
"Mm?" I asked not wanting to open my eyes.  
"Where should I put this?"  
Assuming he was talking about the towel, I rolled onto my side.  
"Doesn't matter, I'll take care of it later."  
He fell silent and I could hear him walking around the apartment, probably searching for his clothes.  
Moments later he returned.

"You gonna sleep all day?"  
I nodded silently in response, and he didn't say anything else.  
Opening my eyes I peered at him. He was pulling his clothes on, hair dripping wet.  
"I feel completely drained. I could sleep for a month..."  
He raised an eyebrow, pulling his pants up.  
"Well, you have gone through lot in the past week..."  
He walked to my side and knelt down.  
"You're strange."  
Frowning, I gazed up at him.  
"What? Why?"  
He shook his head, and I rolled my eyes.  
Grabbing his hand I pulled him towards me.  
"Come back to bed, you were comfy."  
A slight smile formed on my lips, but he refused to be pulled back.

"No. It's not good idea..."  
Now I was confused. I sat up, and raised an eyebrow at him.  
"Why?"  
"You might get the wrong idea..." He stated flatly.  
"Wrong idea? What?" Still not understanding I tilted my head to the side.  
"You know. About us..."

It took a moment for the words to click in my mind, but when they did I averted my gaze.  
"Oh... Well- Eh, I didn't- Umm... Expect anything..."  
I couldn't admit that my heart had dropped.  
He stared at me silently, obviously not believing the words.  
Laying back down I turned away from the man.  
He placed a hand on my shoulder and I refused to look at him.  
_'What exactly was I expecting?'  
_

"Rein..." His voice was low, but I shrugged his hand away.  
"What? It's fine. Really, I knew you would say that. I kept my distance for a reason."  
Peering over my shoulder I narrowed my eyes at him. He sighed loudly and nodded.  
Soon he was pulling his clothes on again.  
"You know... I just don't want you to fall in love or anything..."

Annoyed I sat up and watched him.  
"Love? With you? I would never put myself in such a position. You're still just the man I was supposed to kill, do not mistake that."  
The only word that could properly describe the way I felt was mortified. That and maybe embarrassed.

He seemed surprised by my words, and stared at me oddly.  
Finding that I didn't even want to see him, I laid back down.  
_'This was stupid... So stupid. I'm a dumb ass. No, this was just to thank him... For helping me...'  
_Satisfied with the though I decided to accept it as my reasoning behind my illogical actions.  
The image of him fighting the Amanto and Takasugi was still fresh; still exciting, and enticing.  
But I quickly pushed it away.

A bitter laugh parted my lips, and I turned to face him, offering a small smirk.  
"Love... That was a ridiculous statement. More like hate."  
He frowned at me, and averted his gaze.  
"Yeah... Hate."

I could tell he felt bad about letting me down. But then again it wasn't exactly letting me down.  
It was much easier to jump to the exact opposite of what he had expected, then to admit that I did like him.  
Even the slightest hint that he was right would only make things worse.

He started out of the room and I called behind him.  
"Lock the door knob on your way out."

He didn't answer me, and I was thankful that he had left.  
Not exactly that he left, as I would have been happy if he had stayed, before he started talking about "us".  
Staring at the ceiling I sighed loudly.  
It was obvious why he didn't want to be with somebody like me.  
I erased worms before they could become butterflies.


	56. Hesitation is Weakness

_'What should I do today?'_

Days had passed, and I had focused on work instead of resting.  
I couldn't rest. Every time I closed my eyes all I could think of was rejection.  
'_It was foolish to think anything of it... He didn't start it, I did. So the only person who can be blamed is me...'_

Walking through the dark hallways of a warehouse I clenched my sword; expecting somebody to jump out of the shadows.  
I was working. The main reason I was slinking through the dark was to retrieve an important file. Information.

When I reached the room I needed to be in a single man was standing by a cabinet.  
He was unaware of my presence, and i crept behind him. Intent on stabbing him through the back.  
Positioning my blade, I approached him. Just as I was about to go through with it, I faltered.  
Instead of quickly killing him I clamped my hand around his mouth, and knocked him out with the handle.

The man slumped to the ground and I peered at him.  
_'What's wrong with me? I did it again...'_  
Shifting my gaze to the file cabinets around the room I sighed.

Upon finding the right cabinet I pulled it open.  
An alarm sounded, and I swore under my breath; quickly pulling the file out, and shoving it into my yukata.  
Distant yells of multiple men grew nearer, and I griped my blade.  
I waited by the door for the men to rush in.  
They ran right past me, not even noticing. There was about ten of them, and they held weapons of all sorts.  
Rushing to their comrade they seemed distracted enough.

I slipped from the door, only to find another man approaching.  
"Intruder!" He yelled and I heard footsteps approaching from the room.  
Scowling at the man in front of me, I started to walk past him, he pulled out a sword and swiped at me.  
I evaded the attack, and started running.  
_'Why won't I fight? This is stupid!These men would be easy!'_

"Oi! Bitch get back here!"

A blade plunged into my arm, and I cried out, turning to face the group of men.  
It was a throwing knife, and I pulled it out grunting in pain.  
Honestly I was just thankful that I wore my black yukata today; I wouldn't have to buy another, of try to clean a stain.  
Clasping my blade, I sighed.  
_'Worms...'_  
I returned it to my sheath, and pulled the sheath out with it.  
"That wasn't very nice..."  
They glared at me as I spoke, and our battle began.  
It wasn't over as quickly as usual. With the sheath, all I could do was hit them, and avoid being cut.  
I struck elbows, shins, any weak points, just to stall long enough to escape.

* * *

_'This is getting tedious.'_  
Half an hour later I sat on a park bench, counting my payment.  
I had been injured, all because I was trying not to kill.  
I couldn't quite bring myself to do it earlier, and it pissed me off.  
Of course, the only person that could be blamed for that was Gintoki.

Sighing loudly I gazed at the sky.  
_'Ridiculous... I just do what I have to... I shouldn't be ashamed...'_

"Oi."  
My thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.  
Hijikata was standing a meter away from me, and I gazed up at him.  
"What are you doing here? Don't you have cop things to do or something?"  
He rolled his eyes at me, and sat down.  
"It's my day off, stupid."  
I nodded, and he leaned back on the bench.  
"So why are you looking so hopeless today?"  
Slightly surprised I scowled at him.  
"Hopeless? I'm not. You must be imagining things."

He nodded in response, lighting a cigarette.  
I watched the man smoke in silence.  
When he placed his hand on his knee, I motioned to the smoke.  
"May I?"  
His eyebrows furrowed, and he stared at me oddly.  
"Something _is _wrong..."

Shaking my head I took the cigarette when he offered it.  
Neither of us spoke. We just watched groups of people pass by.  
The wind blew a bit of mist from a nearby fountain on us, casting a slight chill on my wet sleeve, and I returned his cigarette.  
The wound throbbed, causing me to wonder how bad it was.  
I hadn't even wrapped it, let alone checked the damage..  
"You know... I need a vacation."  
He eyed me, taking a long drag of smoke.  
"Work getting to you?"

"You could say that... Hijikata?"  
"What?"  
Unable to keep myself from voicing my problems I turned to him.  
"What good is false hope? Doesn't it seem to do more damage then anything?"  
Flicking the butt of his cigarette away he crossed his arms.  
"False hope can build nations."

Our eyes met yet neither of us moved.  
After a moment I nodded.  
"I suppose you're right... I'm hungry. Wanna catch a bite?"  
He took a moment to answer, but soon agreed.  
Standing up, we walked across the pavement, through groups of people;  
Not speaking, or even looking at each other.


	57. Ramen Always Tastes Good

After ordering our food we waited patiently, sitting at a long wooden counter.  
The chef prepared our food, and placed the bowls in front of us.  
Hijikata proceeded to pile a mountain of mayonnaise atop his ramen, and I tried my best not to look.

Lost in thought I didn't take the time to study the people around us.  
Truthfully I didn't care who was here.  
Low murmurs of multiple conversations hung in the air, but none of them belonged to us.  
_'A vacation... Where would I go? Maybe the old forest?'_

"Oi, perm head, that's disgusting! You should move, go eat in the corner alone!"  
Hijikata called out to somebody seated a few chairs away from us.  
_'Perm head? Don't tell me it's-'_

Sure enough Gintoki sat at the same counter as us, eating a meal with sweet beans piled as high as Hijikata's mayonnaise mountain.  
"Disgusting? What's disgusting is that mound of grease you're shoveling into your mouth! _You_ should eat in the damn corner!"

Sighing loudly I averted my gaze. Hijikata peered at me, and I ignored him.  
Soon him and Gintoki continued to argue about which topping was more healthy: mayonnaise or sweet beans.

Completely uncomfortable, I poked my noddles with my chop sticks.  
My appetite had disappeared, and I reached into my wrist pouch.  
Placing some money on the counter I stood up.  
I rested a hand on Hijikata's shoulder, and he peered up at me.  
"You said you were hungry. You didn't even finish half of your bowl..."  
I shifted my gaze.  
"Well, I just remembered... Um, I have some where to be right now."  
I started away, ignoring the fact that Gintoki was openly staring at me.  
"See? You ruined her appetite!" Gintoki called.  
"She wasn't leaving until she saw your nasty beans!"  
Hijikata retorted. Turning to me, he grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"What about your change?"  
Instead of answering, I swore under my breath.  
He had grabbed my newest wound, and I snatched my arm away from him.  
"Oww! Fuck, Toushi!"  
His eyes widened, probably at the fact that I called him his first name, but I grabbed my arm, scowling.

He glanced at his palm, which was tinted crimson.  
"What the- You're bleeding? You're sitting here eating ramen while you're bleeding?!"  
Hijikata quickly rose to his feet, and a few people had started to look at us.

"Shh..." I placed a finger to my lips before continuing.  
"It's nothing, I'm fine, really..."  
"Fine?! You're entire sleeve is wet!" He grabbed the fabric pulling my arm up, and spoke in a sort of loud whisper; if that makes any sense.  
"No really... I- Tripped."  
Now he tilted his head to the side, and raised an eye brow at my lame excuse.  
"Really? You fell?" His tone was sarcastic, and I shrugged.  
"It- It happens..."

Sighing loudly, he threw some money by his food and dragged me away.

* * *

Sitting on a bench outside of a small convenience store Hijikata finished wrapping my wound.  
"Surprising that the ground cut you. It's a _clean_ cut too." He narrowed his eyes at me, and I averted my gaze.  
"Yeah... Funny."  
I stared at the dark pavement of the road in front of us. A car sped by, and Hijikata pulled my sleeve down.  
"You've got to be more careful. If you keep fighting, this will keep happening." He stated flatly, pushing a cigarette to his lips.  
"I didn't fight... I-" We peered at each other, and I shook my head.  
"It doesn't matter... I guess I should thank you..."  
He waved his hand at me dismissively, and I stood up.  
"I'm gonna go... I'll see you around..."

The man offered a slight nod, and I started away.

The first thing I did was pay my rent for two months.  
I didn't know how long I planned to be gone, but it would definitely take a while before I felt better.  
The past few days proven that fact.

Opting to pick up some snacks, I walked to the store.  
Inside of the store, I ran into Gintoki, _again_.

_'What the fuck!? Twice in one day?! Really?!'  
_Ignoring the man I walked past him.  
He held two containers of strawberry milk in his hands, both of different brands.  
He seemed to be contemplating which one to pick.  
Pulling open a cooler door, I grabbed some bottled water.  
"Oi, stupid."  
I felt my chest tense when he spoke, and peered at him over my shoulder.  
"They're out of my normal brand. Which one looks better?" He held the containers up for me to see.  
I stared at them, holding the water to my ribs.  
"Uhh... That one?" I used my free hand to point at one of the bottles.  
Without saying anything else I rushed away to one of the isles, looking for snacks.  
"Wait, are you sure? How do you know?" He followed after me holding the bottles.

Peering over my shoulder I quickened my pace.  
"What if I get home, and taste it, but then I don't like it?  
I won't be able to bring it back, because it will already be open!  
That sort of thing makes people look indecisive; like they don't know what they want! Why'd you pick this bottle?"

Ignoring him I searched the shelves grabbing a small box of granola bars.  
"Oi! I know you hear me!"  
Sighing loudly I turned to face him.  
The Yorozura was holding the bottles on either side of his face, and bent towards me.  
"Does it matter? That's your problem, not mine."

He frowned, standing straight up.  
Annoyed I snatched the bottle I picked for him and started away.  
"What are you doing?" He asked.  
"Shut up." Glancing at him over my shoulder I walked to another isle and grabbed a small bag of mixed fruit.  
He followed me around and I walked into the line.  
He didn't say anything and when I reached the counter I paid for my things plus the damn milk.  
when everything was bagged, I left the milk on the counter for him.  
"Now you only have to buy one."

He stared at me looking slightly confused but I left.

* * *

On the way back home, I noticed Gintoki walking a few meters behind me holding a bag with his milk.  
Pretending not to notice I tightened my grip on the bags.  
_'Why is he following me? What the hell is he doing?'  
_I took a deep breath and pulled a new pack of cigarettes out of my bags.  
When I lit one, I answered my own question.  
_'Shit, we live in the same direction...'_

"Oi, you're not gonna greet me? Are you acting like you don't see me?"  
He called out behind me, and I turned to face him.  
"What do you want?" I asked not trying to conceal my irritated expression.  
"Nothing. You've been ignoring me all day."  
I shook my head at his statement.  
"No I haven't. I'm well aware of your presence. How could I not be? You keep talking."

He fell silent and we continued walking.  
After a moment he placed a hand on my shoulder.  
"What's wrong with you? Are you upset?"  
Glancing at the man from the corner of my eyes I shook my head.  
"Just the opposite. I'm fine."  
"Oogushi-Kun said you were bleeding..." He stated grabbing my sleeve.  
"No, it was just his imagination."

Releasing my sleeve he sighed.  
"How long are you going to act like this?" He asked flatly.  
"I'm not acting like anything. You wanted your space, and freedom, so I'm giving you it.  
Besides, it's not like it matters. We agreed that we hate each other, right?"

I peered up at him and he slowly nodded, averting his gaze.  
"Good."  
With that I crossed the street, not wanting to speak any more.  
I would get home, grab a few extra pairs of clothes, and leave.


	58. The Vacation

The forest was as beautiful as I remembered.  
Years ago I would come to this very place to complete my training.  
Being sent away from my home so early had prevented me from finishing my studies.  
There was an old lodge beside a waterfall and a stream that accepted students of all kinds.  
Many different people would come just to relax or hone their skills.  
There was one rule that all warriors had to follow.  
It didn't matter if they were samurai, ninja, assassins, or mercenaries; No body was allowed to fight.

Practice was different they had a specific area for practice fights.  
But real fights were strictly forbidden, and would result in seppuku, or being banned from returning.  
The lodge was a long cabin-like structure built around multiple trees.  
Flowers adorned the path to the door, which was surrounded by a tall half circle of thick blurred glass.

I gazed at the wide river which rushed down stream.  
The sound of the waterfall was soothing, and I took a deep breath.  
The air was fresh, and damp.  
I walked inside, after taking a moment to observe the thick foliage.  
Moss draped from the limbs of the trees, and thick vines climbed up the trunks, mixing with the hanging moss.

"Hello. How may I help you young lady?"  
The moment I walked in I was greeted by the owner.  
He looked the same as always, broad shoulders, long black hair.  
This man was the essence of a warrior; covered in scars,  
with so many hidden weapons he could afford to throw swords down after he cut somebody; like in the movies.  
(They shoot somebody, and drop the gun. "Well, I'll never need this again!")

I walked to the wooden counter he was standing behind.  
"I need a training room. Preferably the one with the willow tree, and bed." I gazed at him blankly and he frowned.  
"Rein?"  
I nodded, and a small smile cracked his lips.  
"It's been years! So your usual room? Come with me there's been some changes."  
After grabbing some fresh towels, and sheets he led me around a small hallway with natural lighting, and up a flight of stairs.  
"Dai, when did you get a second floor?"  
He turned to smirk at me, and stopped by a door.  
"Last year. The willow room below is occupied, but I think you'll like this one a lot more."  
He opened the door, and I was slightly surprised by the room.  
It was round, and the trunk of the willow tree protruded from the tatami floor almost in the middle.  
The tree broke off into branches, and there were a clusters of leaves.  
Small lanterns hung on the walls and a large window with blurred glass cast soft light over the room.  
A round bed was set against a far wall, and opposite of it a boulder lay beside the window.

"It is nice... You were right..."  
He nodded slowly, and walked inside of the room.

"Storage is here... Tables are here..."  
He started tugging a panels in the wall, pulling down small tables, revealing hidden closets, and a secluded room with a toilet and sink.  
"Also..."  
Sliding his hands around a long bar that was perched inside of the wall for no apparent reason he pulled out, and rolled the wall to the side.  
"There's a kitchen... If you pull under the counter like this, table will come out."  
He demonstrated the motion and pointed at a small seam in the cabinets.  
"Pull this and it's chair."

I watched in silent amazement as he pushed everything back; leaving no trace of it's existence.  
"Over here, this boulder has been hollowed out..."  
Following him to the rock I peered over the edge.  
"Press this button, and warm spring water will flow from the bamboo spout up there."  
Dai pointed to the button, and then a long bamboo water spout hanging from the ceiling.  
"This is amazing..." I breathed the words and he let loose a hearty laugh.  
"Yeah, we've been upgrading the place since the wife's absence." He gazed at the window longingly and I nodded.

Dai walked to the bed and tossed the fresh white towels and sheets onto the mattress.  
I followed behind him, and placed a hand on his shoulder.  
"So how much do I owe you?"  
He offered me a smile and shook his head.  
"I would never charge a comrade. It's on the house."  
I thanked him and returned his smile.  
"How is Nanako?"  
Allowing myself to indulge in idle chit chat, I turned to gaze over the room again.  
There was a small patch of grass, with multiple stones large enough to sit on.

"She's doing well. It's hard though. Raising a daughter alone.  
There are things that I just can't teach her. At times I wonder what I'll do when she...  
You know- Gets old enough to change... Or even date.  
I have absolutely no knowledge of the female body. In a medical sense at least.  
I can teach her how to fight, or how to cook, but I will never be able to show her how to be a good woman."

I nodded slowly, and turned to face him.  
"Well, if I can be of assistance, let me know. I assume if would be easier for a woman to speak of such things."  
He laughed at my statement, and I grinned.

"In the morning we have breakfast together. You should join us. Also, there's a hook for your sword over there."  
He pointed at the wall and started past me.  
Suddenly stopping he set his hazel gaze on me.  
"Would you me like to to sharpen your blade? I assume you haven't been doing it yourself.  
Even if you have, you could never do as well a job as me."

I scowled but still smiled at the man as he joked.  
Playfully nudging him I pulled my sword form my waist.  
"If you would lend me your skills I would appreciate it, kind sir."  
Chuckling he took the sword.  
Without a word he pulled he into a tight embrace, placing one hand over my hair.  
"I will never forget what you have done for me.  
Though years have passed, I will be eternally grateful.  
I didn't expect a stranger to help me avenge Umi...  
More so I didn't expect to see the fearful Shi no Komori-uta again in my life." He released me, and started away.  
"I'll tell Nanako you're here. And your key is in on the towels.

I thanked him one last time before he left. Umi was his wife. Killed by a rogue warrior, who was dissatisfied with the prices.  
She had refused to lower the costs, and the man and his friends slaughtered her in cold blood at the counter.  
They left, and I happened to walk in when he found the woman. His daughter, Nanako was just six years old at the time.  
I helped the man clean the area and bury his wife, also assisting in explaining to Nanako why she would no longer be around.  
A week later we found the men, following each hushed whisper and rumor before bringing them to justice.  
Umi had been pregnant at the time, but the baby's life was taken with hers.

Dai swore to be my comrade for life.  
And by the looks of things he was telling the truth. I hadn't returned since then, but he seemed happy to see me.  
I was happy to get away from Edo. The nickname he used had been long forgotten as well.  
After our battle with the men, I returned bathed in blood, and supporting him on my shoulder.  
The guests that were standing in the lobby started calling me Death's Lullaby, and it just stuck.  
All night and morning people continued to call me the name.  
Even in Edo, an occasional samurai would come up to me, and ask "Is it really you? The real Shi no Komori-uta?".  
Normally I would shake my head, and tell them "I'm Rein, not Lullaby."

After putting my things away, I pulled on a training gown, and headed to the waterfall.  
It had been over a year since I last sat underneath one.

_'Fuck... Fuck! It's so cold... Just wait... I'll get used to it... Shit! I'm not getting used to it!'_

Sitting under the waterfall, I was trying to focus on something like meditation.  
Anything but the fact that I was freezing my ass off. It took over an hour to get used to it, and the sun started to fall.

When I returned inside, Dai was waiting for me with a towel.  
He returned my blade stating that in the morning we should practice together, and also asked me to join him and Nanako for dinner.  
I agreed, and allowed my mind to slip away from Gintoki. Though he never truly left my thoughts.


	59. Missing

The sound of a small knock at my door awoke me.  
I stirred lazily but when the knock echoed, I stood up and walked to the door.  
It was Nanako, and she stared up at me with her bronze eyes.  
"Big sister, Papa said breakfast is almost ready."  
I nodded to the girl and she leaned onto the door frame, twiddling her thumbs.  
"What is it?" I asked still groggy, but slowly adjusting to being awake.  
"Will you spar me today?"  
I nodded, and she sighed.  
"Sorry to wake you. I know you've been upset lately."  
I peered at the girl, and motioned for her to come into the room, so I could change from my undergarments.  
She stepped inside and closed the door.  
"I'm not upset. I feel much better actually." Walking to the closet I spoke, and the girl plopped down on my bed.  
"I'm really glad you came back. It's been lonely without you! "

Though I didn't quite know how to deal with children Nanako always seemed to like talking to me.  
I offered her a smile, and she beamed one back.  
"Big sister, why won't Papa let me use a real sword?"  
Pulling on a yukata I walked to the girl's side.  
"It's dangerous. He just doesn't want you to get hurt, that's all. "  
She nodded, and I walked into the bathroom. When done, I started towards the door.  
"Let's go."

* * *

Breakfast was good, and after sparring Nanako I practiced my sword technique with Dai.  
We started slowly, warming up first, but soon the fight intensified.  
Neither of us liked to lose, and even though we weren't seriously trying to hurt each other we succeeded in doing just that.  
For safety purposes we used bokkens, and it was a good thing that we did.

"Come on! Is that all you've got?!" Dai shouted the words at me, and I scowled at him.  
Swinging my bokken I was angered to find that he blocked me.  
I ducked as he attempted to hit me, and struck his leg as I did.  
He fell to one knee, yet smirked up at me.  
"I would expect as much from you..."

We continued to fight, ignoring the large crowd of people who had gathered to watch.  
Due to a weak block, I was struck in the face with the tip of his bokken.  
Twisting around, I landed on the stone ground crying out.  
"Come on, you fight like a girl!"

I stood up, but raised an eyebrow at him.  
"Are you calling me a girl?" I spoke in a low tone, glaring at the man.  
The crowd fell silent, as if they expected this to turn into a death match.  
"Yeah, I am! What are you gonna do about it?"

I burst into laughter, and a few people joined in.  
Soon we were back at it, pushing each other back, striking at each opportunity we found.

When finished, we remained in the training yard, panting, The crowd shouted encouragement, and some people even began to chant "Komori-uta".  
At first I wondered how everybody knew, but then I remembered the picture hanging in the entrance.  
It didn't say what for, but it had the nickname, and boasted of my skills.

"I want to fight her!" Turning to face the voice I was surprised to see a familiar face.  
A certain red head had been watching my display, and he walked towards me.  
_'A Yato?'_

"I know you from somewhere..." I stared at the Yato, frowning.  
"Yeah. Takasugi introduced us." He stated with a grin.  
I nodded and searched my mind for a name.  
"Was it Kamui?"  
"How could you forget after try to seduce me?" He asked, chuckling lightly, and scratching his head.  
"S- Seduce?!" I gazed at Dai who was listening intensely.  
"Yeah, at the warehouse." Kamui nodded, and I shook my head.  
"No, no, I only met you once at that business meeting! I don't know what it was, but I definitely didn't try anything like that!"  
Kamui frowned and placed a hand to his chin.  
"No, we met again after that... You're name is Chizuru, right?"  
Though it didn't seem possible my eyes widened even further, they did.  
"NO! I- I'm Rein!"

He still frowned, and shook his head.  
"Don't lie about your name!"  
"Really! I'm not Chizuru! That's my sister!"  
Kamui narrowed his eyes at me, and nodded.  
"Okay, prove it."

"Prove it? How? I don't know what you're expecting... Ask Takasugi."  
After a moment of silence he nodded, and turned to the crowd.  
"Oi, Humans, one of you bring me your phone!"

I didn't want Takasugi to know where I was.  
"No, wait, don't call him now!"  
"So you're Chizuru?" Kamui asked.  
Sighing loudly I shook my head.  
"Fine... Call..."

* * *

**Third Person**

"Where the fuck is she?!" Gintoki sneered the words, slamming Takasugi into a wall.  
The Yorozura held the one eyed man by his collar, and held a deep scowl.  
Takasugi grinned at him shrugging.  
"How should I know?"  
"Damn it, I know you took her again. Where did you hide her Takasugi... I'm warning you-"  
Cutting him off Takasugi continued to grin darkly, obviously amused.  
"You practically kidnapped me, and dragged me all the way here to ask me about her? This is interesting... What is your relationship with that girl?"

Noticing that nobody had seen Rein in weeks, Gintoki had gone to her house. Just to make sure she was okay.  
But she wasn't there, she wasn't anywhere he could think of.  
Nobody knew where she was, and the only person he could think to ask now was Takasugi.

It wasn't normal for Rein to just disappear. She had never left before.  
It made more sense for something to have happened and her not tell him she was in trouble.  
Especially with the mood she had been in. He figured that was what he should have expected though.  
He came across Takasugi in a shopping center and confronted him, pulling him into a secluded spot, surrounded by buildings.  
It was nothing but an empty lot, with old posters hanging on the walls around it, and broken concrete which blades of grass had started to grow through.

"Stop toying with me, you're in no position to play around... Tell me, or you'll lose another eye..."  
Gintoki's voice was a growl and Takasugi chuckled in response.  
"Aren't you supposed to be killing me? Or have you forgotten?" A scowl took his face, and Gintoki sighed loudly.

Pulling Takasugi off of the wall he slammed onto the ground.  
Takasugi started to pick himself up, reaching for an imaginary sword, as Gintoki had taken his weapon.  
The Yorozura pulled the blade from it's resting place and pointed it at Takasugi's face.  
"What did you do with her?"  
"And why exactly would you expect me to tell you?" Takasugi responded, still scowling.  
"Fine... If you won't talk..." Gintoki positioned the sword over Takasugi's crotch, glaring at him.  
"Hold on, hold on. Maybe we could be more reasonable about this..." Widening his eye Takasugi peered up at Gintoki.  
"No, talk, or you'll loose your little Johnny"

"Little Johnny? No wait, Listen. Gintoki, you can shoot me, you can stab me.  
You can even torture me, but even I love my Little Johnny.  
I really don't know where she is. You know any man would tell you if their Little Johnny was on the line!"

The men stared at each other silently, Gintoki scowling, and Takasugi panicked; pleading with his eye.

A phone began to ring, and Takasugi looked at his pocket.  
"I'm just going to answer it..."  
Gintoki nodded, and watched the one eyed man's slow movement.  
"Put it on speaker..." He growled and Takasugi obliged.

"What?" Takasugi asked staring up at Gintoki.  
"Oi, Is there two of that Chizuru girl?" It was Kamui and Gintoki's eyes widened.  
A waterfall could be heard in the background, mixed with the sound of a battle.  
"Yes. She has a younger sister named Rein... You've met her before." Takasugi sighed, thankful that his Little Johnny was safe for another day.  
"Rein... Oi, Human you were right, you aren't Chizuru!" Kamui seemed to be speaking to somebody in the back ground.  
Gintoki stared down at Takasugi.  
"Ask where she is..." He whispered and Takasugi smirked, shaking his head.  
"Is that all, Kamui?" The one eyed man asked, and received a "Yeah" in response.  
Gintoki pressed the sword down, and Takasugi jumped.  
"Wait, Kamui, Kamui, where is that girl?"  
"The Shi no Komori-uta girl? She's at a training lodge with me in the forest. It's called Wounded War-"  
"Don't tell him that! Shut up! Stop talking, I'll fight you!"  
Rein's voice sounded in the back ground, followed by a small click , signaling that the call was over.  
"Satisfied?" Takasugi peered up at Gintoki, smirking.

"Fuck!" Still enraged Gintoki flung the sword across the lot, and stomped away.

* * *

_**A/N: Yay, lots of updates in one day again! Just wanted to tell everybody that you readers are awesome. :)**_  
_**It makes my day to know that you like Rein, and the story line! Your comments always make me smile.^ (Like that)**_  
_**Hope you're all having a good day, and that if you aren't that this story can at least make you smile. **_  
_**(Or take you mind off of anything that's bothering you.)**_


	60. Midnight Intruder

After fighting Kamui I was bruised all over.  
He had literally thrown me around like a rag doll when the chance permitted itself.  
That doesn't mean I didn't hold my own.  
I had hit him a good number of times, but the moment he could he broke my bokken.  
Once the bokken was out of the way I managed to cut him with the splintered edges, but was pretty much defenseless.  
His strength was far greater then mine.  
I didn't even attempt to run, as it was obvious that he would be faster then me. Most of the duel was spent evading.

Night had fallen, and I laid in the bathtub, soaking in warm water.  
Every joint in my body ached, and I attempted to recuperate.  
Dai had given me a bottle of alcohol, and despite the fact that I don't drink I decided to indulge myself.  
The only reasoning I gave myself was _'I'm an adult. I can do that.' _  
The black stone tub was luxuriously smooth, and I melted into it taking a swig from the bottle.  
It burnt on the way down, but I told myself it seemed stronger then it was.  
Moments later my head was spinning, and I put the bottle down.  
"I guess it is as strong as it tastes..." I spoke the words to no one in particular, and gazed down in the water.

When I got out of the bath tub I pulled a robe over myself, and stumbled to the closet searching for something to wear to bed.  
'_I wanna feel sexy!' _My thoughts grew increasingly ridiculous, but it made perfect sense at the time.  
Nodding to myself I searched my bag for under clothes.  
_'Oooh, lacy...'_  
I pulled the panties over myself, and grabbed some medical wrap.  
_'I wonder if they make this in lace too? I bet Gintoki would know... But I'm not thinking about him right now.'_

My body had grown completely numb, and I wrapped my chest.

Staring up at the tree I struggled to focus my eyes.  
_'I wonder how they got that in here... It must have been heavy... They were probably lazy and just pushed it in...'  
_Really. It made sense at the time._  
_

A knock at my door broke my train of thought, and I peered at it oddly.  
Assuming it was Nanako I pulled the door open, but was immediately attacked.  
With lips.  
Arms wrapped around me, and the door was pushed closed.  
Stunned I froze in place wondering who the hell was doing this.

When the person pulled back, I found it was Kamui.  
"Human, you taste like alcohol..."  
"I- What are you doing?" I probably sounded like alcohol too. Assuming alcohol sounded like a drunk.  
He crashed his lips back to mine and I attempted to protest.  
Though I pushed against him, he walked me backwards into the bed.  
This was too much for my mind to process.  
It felt like my brain had been set to overload, and was currently throwing away important files such as speech, and reasoning.  
I fell back, and he landed on top of me. When he freed my lips, he propped himself up on his arms.  
"You're strong for a woman... No matter what you always get back up..."  
"Kamui, what are you doing?!" Utterly confused I tried to make sense of everything.  
He offered a small smile, and tilted his head to the side.

"Congratulating you."  
"Congratulating? For what? I haven't done anything. Wait, wait- That's not the point, congratulating me by attacking me?"  
"Attacking?" He seemed amused and shook his head.  
"Human, you're drunk. Really drunk. How much did you drink?"

"How much?" I peered at the bottle by the tub, but found myself unable concentrate.  
"I can't think with you like this!" I exclaimed.

He chuckled at me, and peered down.  
Somehow, he had managed to land between my legs which was even more unsettling.  
"Isn't this what you humans do when you're happy?" He asked raising an eyebrow.  
"I- I don't think so!" I responded, scooting from under him.

"You can't just barge in here, and start kissing me!"  
For some reason he looked confused, and I frowned at him.  
Everything was already confusing enough without him doing this.  
"Is that why you kissed me back? To show me I couldn't do that?"  
My eyes widened and I shook my head.  
"I didn't!"  
"You did, you also-"  
Another knock interrupted him and we peered at the door.  
I jumped to my feet and ran to the source of the noise.  
Cracking the door open, I was surprised to find Dai.

"Um, are you okay in here?" He looked concerned and I nodded.  
"YEAH! Yes! I'm fine... Thank you." The alcohol had taken all of my intelligence away, making me a horrible liar.  
He frowned at me, and attempted to peek into the room.  
I stood on my toes blocking his sight; moving in front of him in any way possible.  
"Well... Alright... If you need anything, you know where I am..."  
I nodded and he walked away, occasionally turning to look at me oddly.

Turning to face Kamui I sighed.  
"Okay, get out, this is getting too weird, you're freaking me out..."  
His brow furrowed and he started across the tatami mats.  
When he reached my side, he closed the door, pushing me against it roughly.  
Reconnecting his lips with mine, he wrapped an arm around me.  
"Wh- What th- You're not- Congrat- lating me!"  
I pushed against him but he didn't budge. Not one inch.  
The only thing that did move was the fabric of his clothes, and he reached up, grabbing one of my hands.  
When he finally pulled away from me, I was gasping for air. Speaking, he leaned his forehead on mine.

"Think about it..."  
I stared at him wide eyed, knowing that if he really wanted to hurt me he could have done much worse.  
But it was still unsettling and confusing that he would just come into my room and do this.  
The man offered me a dark smirk, and reached for the door.  
Moving out of the way I watched him leave completely befuddled.

After locking the door, I made my way to the bed.  
_'I need to leave... Tomorrow.'_


	61. Hidden in a Warehouse

Romance always seemed to pop up in unexpected places.  
Whether it was during a fight, or knocking at my door. After spending the morning with Dai and Nanako I left.  
It had been nice while it lasted; not having to worry about work, or Gintoki, but I couldn't stay forever.  
Well, I probably could have, but I had no intention of becoming a bride and mother in one day.

Despite the fact that I had a horrible hang over, and couldn't even remember what I had done the previous night, I started through the forest.  
I knew I had seen Kamui, but our conversation was not willing to be repeated in my mind.  
The extra weight from the bottle of liquor that had been gifted to me didn't seem to help as I pushed through the thick foliage.  
The location of the lodge wasn't exactly convenient, but it was necessary.  
Swords were strictly prohibited, and such a place would be shut down if discovered by the authorities.

The journey back was a long one, taking hours before showing any signs of civilization.  
The first sign was an oil pump. Not exactly close to home just yet...

* * *

When I reached the city the sun had set. Darkness engulfed the world only lapsing beside the occasional street lamp.  
I went straight to my apartment, and to sleep. At least at home I didn't have to worry about unexpected encounters.  
I didn't have to worry about training, or anything else. The only thing in my apparent was the ghost of a memory. One that was buried in the past.

Morning approached and I willed myself out of bed.  
Skipping breakfast I took to the world outside.  
The streets were noisy, as usual.  
Cars sped by, people spoke to their friends, everything was normal.  
If that's what normal is. It didn't feel like it. Something still felt as though it was missing.

I didn't have to find a job, a job found me; and I accepted it without a second thought.  
The man asked me to save his daughter, and we devised a small plan.  
He would come with me and wait outside in a nearby patch of greenery.  
"When we come out, you take her and run.  
If these men are as dangerous as you say, then I may have to stay behind and fight."  
He nodded wide eyed. Obviously scared.  
For once in my life I wondered what it would be like to stand on that side of the grass.  
Maybe it truly was greener. But that was not for me to know.

We walked in silence, until we came across the ware house.  
As instructed the father ducked behind a few trees, and concealed himself in the surrounding bushes.  
I sneaked into the warehouse immediately cautious of the darkness.  
Apparently these people didn't need to see.  
Squinting my eyes I was able to make out the shapes of some furniture.  
A table surrounded by a few chairs. A noose hung from the ceiling, appearing to be connected to some piping.  
A hallway caught my eye, and I started towards it.  
Muffled cries drew my attention to the outline of a door.  
Peering through the cracks of light my gaze settled on a girl.  
She was sitting on the floor, tied up, and blind folded.  
A rag was strapped across her mouth as well.  
After scanning the room to the best of my ability, I decided it was safe to enter.

I eased the door open, and it squeaked loudly.  
Checking the hallway and the room I was satisfied to find that we were alone.  
The girl started to cry, trying to speak, but her words were muffled.  
She was wearing a long white gown and her hair cascaded to her shoulders in an mass of dark curls.  
"Shh..." I crept over to her and she stopped moving.  
Taking my blade I slipped it into the ropes, freeing the girl.  
I cut the rags tied around her mouth, and she pulled the blind fold off.  
She immediately gripped my hand, staring up at me with pleading eyes, obviously on the verge of tears.  
"Your father sent me, let's go before they catch us, okay?"  
She nodded, and I helped her to stand.

Peering out of the hallway I found it empty again.  
Clasping the girl's hand tightly I pulled her from the room. We crept through the darkness, being careful not to make a sound.  
Just as we reached the end of the hallway a voice pierced the silence.  
"Where do you think you're going? You two should know better then to try to escape again..."  
Turning to peer at the voice I scowled.  
_'Two?'_

The sound of a blade being pulled from a sheath caused the girl to start sobbing loudly.  
I shushed her, but she wouldn't stop.  
"Wait for the other girl..." After giving her the instructions I rushed her to the door, and shoved her outside.  
The room was still too dark to make out any figures, but soon I saw the silhouette of a man approaching.  
He held a long blade in one hand, and I pulled mine out as well, not wanting to speak.  
He started towards me, and I ducked out of the way when he swung.  
"Get back to your room, or you'll never see another in your life..."  
He swung again, and I avoided his blade.  
When he followed through, and continued to stab towards me, pushing me back, I couldn't take it any more.  
_'This man is dangerous... Too dangerous.'_

As soon as I completed the thought, I rush towards him, once again avoiding a swipe.  
I stepped behind the man, and shoved my blade through his back.  
He uttered a silent cry of shock, and I clamped my hand over his mouth.  
Twisting the blade I pulled another pained cry from him, and placed my mouth beside his ear.  
"How many girls were there?"  
"Five!" He shouted and I muffled his voice with my hand.  
"What are you doing with them?"  
He remained silent, and I slowly pulled the blade back.  
"R- Ransom! Ransom! If- We don't get it- We sell them!"  
Nodding I pushed him to the ground, and delivered a final blow.  
I couldn't stop.  
I wanted to, but couldn't.

Rushing through the hall I opened multiple doors, finding girls bound in the same was as the last.  
Each time I found them they screamed, and cried, but I quickly released them from their restraints.  
When I had the remaining four girls walking behind me, I led them to the door.  
Making sure they all got out I ushered them into the light outside, only catching a small glimpse of the man on the ground before leaving.

The moment the girls got outside they complained of not being able to see properly.  
The all wore night gowns, and as instructed the man waited with the first girl.  
His daughter was in the group of girls I had brought out and he thanked me with tears in his eyes.  
"Call the Senshingumi. I'm sure they'd love to take the credit for this. And take these girls somewhere safe."

Though my yukata was covered in blood the girls didn't seem to be afraid of me.  
They thanked me repetitively, and I grew tired of it.  
"Hurry up and leave or this will have been for nothing!"  
After I shouted the words, everybody started away. But it was too late.  
Two cars pulled in front of the building, and they froze.

"Damn it. Fuck! Why are you all just standing there?! LEAVE!"  
Annoyed I shifted my gaze between the people and the cars.  
They turned to face me one last time, thanking me, and left as men started to get out of the cars.  
"What the fuck is this? She's messing with our payment!" Loud angered murmurs filled the air, and the men started pulling out swords.  
_'Damn it! Why do I always get put in these positions?'_


	62. Hidden in a Warehouse Pt2

Without warning a battle began. One that was difficult to keep up with.  
There were eight men in total, and though I was hesitant to start I had no choice.  
The first man that reached me was quickly taken care of with a strike to the neck.  
I was using my sheath again, and silently cursed myself.  
The next two were more difficult, but I ducked behind one, causing the other to stab him.  
I struck the second man on his spine with the handle of my sword.  
He quickly fell to his knees, and I seized the opportunity to kick him in his jaw.

"What the fuck?" Some body called from the cars.  
The remaining five men decided to all charge me.  
I couldn't just disable them. Not so easily.  
Forced on the defensive, I ducked backwards as two blades swung past me.  
When the opportunity showed itself, I flung the sheath off of my sword and tore into the men.  
Seeing nothing but red, I was more focused on taking out whoever stepped into my gaze.  
Which was foolish.  
Slitting the throat of the second to last men a blade plunged into me.  
My body screamed in pain, and I clenched my sword as well as my teeth.  
I gasped as I was forced across the grass and against the large trunk of a tree; pinned in place.  
The blade was inches below my collar bone, and I glared at the man who was responsible.  
"Not so tough _now_ are you?"  
He flashed me a wide grin, despite the fact that his friends were lying dead on the ground just a few meters away.  
My sword hung limply by my side, but he had not stabbed my right arm...  
The man wore a large dark pair of sunglasses, and his hair was slicked back.

All I could to was pant, my eyes fixed on the man's smug expression.  
He released his sword, and stuck his hands into his pockets.  
"Hmm, you didn't even make a sound. I wonder how much _you_ would go for."  
The man inched closer, examining my face.  
Adrenaline surged through my veins, and I glared at him hatefully.  
"I bet I could get a good price for-"  
Before he completed his sentence, I spit in his face, and rammed my sword through his stomach.  
He placed his hands around the blade, and gazed at it slack jawed.  
I could see his eyes from the top of his glasses, and he peered up at me.  
Shoving the sword as far as I could, I watched his hands slice open.  
I then kicked the man back.  
He fell to the ground whimpering.  
"Crazy bitch! What the-"  
Tuning him out I leaned into the tree grimacing at the sight of the sword protruding from my body.  
I couldn't reach the handle, with either of my hands, and my left arm hurt too much to raise completely.  
Raising my sword, I pushed against the finger guard with my blade.  
After what felt like an eternity it popped out of the tree; the handle falling towards the ground.  
I shrieked in pain, leaning with it; hoping not to further the damage that had already been done.

Getting the sword out was the most difficult part, but once I had achieved that task I walked to my sheath, not daring to move my arm.  
Pulling the sheath over my sword I pushed everything in place on my waist and started away.  
My once grey yukata was now a completely different color.  
Completely covered in blood, and an near brown shade.  
Grasping my wound I started away from the building.  
Blood began to drip from my sleeve, making a trail down the sidewalk.  
Exhaustion seeped through my veins, and I slumped forward, attempting to apply pressure to the gash.  
Just as I was rounding the corner of a wooden fence, I heard a man's voice.

"No you stay with the old man.  
His daughter is supposed to be here?  
What would she be doing in a warehouse with a bunch of bummy guys? ... Oh...  
Well tell that old geezer he owes me a lot of cake."

It was Gintoki and the moment I started towards him he froze.  
Snapping his phone closed, he stepped towards me.  
It looked as though he would place a hand on my shoulder, but I backed away from him.  
"Leave me alone, damn it!" I snarled the words, and he frowned.  
"W- What happened to you?"  
"Were you coming to save the girls?" I asked glaring up at him.  
"Girl_s_?" He looked confused, and I nodded.  
"Yeah, there were five of them. I beat you to it, go home."  
I started past him, but he grabbed my sleeve.

"Are you okay?"  
"Do I_ look_ okay to you? Is that really even a question right now?"  
He averted his gaze, and I did the same.  
"Just leave me alone. This is all your fault anyway... Damn worms and butterflies.  
Well what the fuck do you do when a worm is trying to kill you?!"

He didn't offer an answer, so I took the opportunity to take my frustration out. On him.

"Do you know what you did? You completely fucked up my perspective! Of everything!  
It fucks up my job, it fucks up my day, hell, it even fucks up my sleep! You know what?  
I do what I have to... I always have. You have no clue, what I've had to do to make it this far...  
What's wrong with killing bad people?! What's wrong with killing before you're killed?  
Does every single _fucking_ worm turn into a butterfly?! Caterpillars turn into butterflies, damn it!  
And some of them become moths! Moths eat clothes, and people hate them!  
There for, I'm doing the world a big _fucking_ favor! I'm doing _you_ a big favor!"

Talking was more difficult then expected.  
My voice was strained, and laced with anguish.  
After growling the words I took a deep breath and sighed.  
"I tried... I really did, but I can't keep this job, and not fight back. I would rather die fighting, then running."

He stared at me, his expression softening.  
_'He must not have expected that... He probably doesn't have anything to say...'_

Gintoki remained silent, once again looking away.  
I followed his eyes from the road to the sidewalk, where a pool of blood had formed.  
Sighing loudly I turned away.  
"Forget it. Just forget I said anything..."

"Let me take you to the hospital..." He finally spoke, and I shook my head.  
"I don't need your help... If anything it would make more sense for you to leave me like this since we hate each other..."  
"Shut up, stupid... You'll be swimming home if you don't go!" He grabbed my sleeve and I turned to face him.  
Though I knew he was right, I couldn't accept help from him.  
Placing my right hand lightly on his wrist I once again shook my head.  
"I'll be fine..."

It was unexpected, but he let me go.  
I started away from him, and could feel his eyes on my back.  
My vision began to blur, and I willed myself to make it to bed.


	63. Swallowing Pride

I awoke with a gasp, and pain shot through me.  
The room was dark despite the small amount of light the peeked through the window.  
Sitting up slowly, I grimaced, as the world seemed to move around me.  
The bed was damp, and a familiar scent hung in the air.  
Managing to stand up, I stumbled to the wall, and leaned against it.  
When I flicked the light on, my eyes settled on my futon.  
It was completely covered in blood. Completely.

_'When did I even get here?'_  
Frowning at the thought I slid down said wall, sitting on the floor.  
_'I have to get another bed...'_

I hadn't changed my yukata, or dressed my wound.  
From the looks of things I walked straight to my bed, and fell into it.  
The covers hadn't been around me, my wrist pouch was still strapped onto my arm, and I couldn't even recall the entire walk back.  
I weakly reached to my yukata, pulling it from my shoulder.  
Dried blood cracked across my skin, and I stared at the troublesome wound.  
_'It just... Looks worse then it is...'_

Nodding to myself I leaned against the wall, using the support to stand.  
I unsteadily made my way to the bathroom, and grabbed a roll of medical tape.  
My reflection stared at me, almost mocking me.  
her face was speckled with blood, skin pale.  
Shifting my gaze, I leaned against the wall again, panting.  
Walking to the bathroom was never this tiring before.  
Focusing on the medical wrap I attempted to wrap the wound, but my left arm wouldn't raise high enough to hold the gauze.  
Sighing in frustration I decided to force it up, using the ever present wall.

I used my right arm to place my left palm against the wall.  
Slowly leaning into the arm, I felt a deep ripping pain in my shoulder.  
Pulling a small hand towel from a rail on the wall nearby, I clenched it in my teeth.  
Instead of giving up on the arm, I took a deep breath and quickly slammed my weight into the drywall, forcing my arm up.  
The pain was excruciating, and I wailed at the sensation, thankful that the small towel had muffled the cry.  
My arm popped, and I could hear my shoulder blade readjust, but I stood frozen in place, not wanting to move.  
After dropping the towel to the floor, I leaned onto the counter.  
My arm started to cooperate with me, and I wrapped the gauze over my shoulder tightly, noting that I had reopened the wound.

_'I can't do this... I can't sew myself; I need help...'_

Turning the sink on, I washed my face, and hands.  
A knock at my door interrupted me. After wondering who would be at my apartment at this time of night, I started towards it.  
When I pulled the door back I peeked at the woman standing beyond it.  
"Are you alright up here? We thought we heard a scream a while ago..."  
"Yes, I'm fine... I cut myself on a piece of glass..."  
She stared at me oddly, before nodding.  
"Do you need something? Should I call somebody to help you?" She asked.  
The woman had obviously been sleeping.  
Coal was in her eyes, and her hair was wild, and pulled back into a pony tail.

I took a moment to contemplate her offer, and nodded.  
"Would you? I have a friend who works for the Senshingumi..."  
She reached into her pocket, and started searching through her contacts.  
"If you call this number they should forward you to the Senshingumi."  
The woman extended the phone towards me, and I took it from her.  
When an opp orator spoke I told her who I needed to speak to.  
Soon a dial tone sounded. A man answered the phone, and I immediately answered his greeting.  
"Yamazaki-San? They have you working the phone right now?"  
"Yeah, but you know how Hijikata is. He didn't feel up to it tonight. This is Rein right?"  
He sounded friendly as usual, but sleepy.  
"M'hm. Oi, I need to speak with Hijikata... Please wake him up, it's kind of important."  
He fell silent, but told me to wait after his pause.

It took a few minutes, but a groggy voice sounded on the line.  
"Yeah?" Impatiently grumbling the word it was obvious that he had been sleeping.  
"Hijikata... I- I apologize for waking you... Um, please come over to my apartment. I need some help. I'll explain when you get here."  
He sounded confused, but must have understood that it was serious. All he said was "I'm coming." and hung up.

I returned the phone to the woman, and she left, after expressing her concern once more, and telling me to be more cautious.  
My left arm felt like it was snapped back in place, but still moved uncomfortably.

* * *

Ten minutes later Hijikata was feverishly knocking on my door. I let him in, and the man's brow furrowed.  
"You're yukata... You- Are you okay?"  
I leaned against the wall, and he closed the door.  
"Yeah... I'm fine, I just- I need you to sew me up..."  
He nodded, and before I could tell him where the bathroom was he started down the hallway.  
I didn't want him to walk into my room, yet felt too faint to call out to him.  
Instead of even trying I sat on the floor, and waited.

The bathroom drawers squeaked as Hijikata pulled them open and I head him rummaging through my things.  
He soon returned with a small sewing kit and gauze.  
Without a word, Hijikata grabbed my yukata, and pulled me up.  
I leaned onto him for support, and he swept me off of my feet. The man carried me to the couch, and laid me down.

He didn't criticize me, or even comment on the injury at all.  
Hanging my head I listlessly peered at him, waiting for some sort of lecture, but to my surprise he remained silent.  
The man pulled the yukata off of my shoulders, gently sliding it from underneath me.  
He then leaned me up, an started cleaning the gash.  
When he pushed the needle into my skin I flinched but didn't make a sound. I was too exhausted.

"Rein... You should go to the hospital..."  
I shook my head, and he sighed, continuing to close the wound.  
When he finished he picked me up.  
Carrying me to the bathroom, he sat me on the floor, leaning onto the wall.  
Hijikata took a cloth, and wet it. The man began to wipe away the dried blood from my chest, and arms.  
He picked me up again, and started to carry me towards the bedroom. Noticing the direction I gazed up at him.  
"Wait... Don't-"  
He was already pushing the door open, and he froze in the doorway.  
"I guess you can't sleep there, huh?" He murmured the words, and returned to the living room; sitting me on the couch.

I leaned on the armrest and he sat beside me, not uttering a single word.  
I didn't know what else to say either.  
Reaching into his pocket Hijikata pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and placed one between his lips.  
He lit it silently, and I gazed at him over my shoulder.  
Turning to face him I sighed.  
"Thank you..."  
He nodded, and peered at the window over my dining table.

"You know... I didn't expect it to be so bad... But then again, you wouldn't have called if it wasn't..."

I watched him unable to conceal the weariness that had taken me.  
Wanting to lay down I stared down the bit of couch between us, contemplating my options.  
"You probably didn't know this, but women are against the rules of the Senshingumi.  
Not just physically living there, but we have to dedicate our lives to the job.  
Distracting ourselves with woman would only complicate things, so relationships are practically banned... But if they weren't..."  
He placed a hand on my shoulder, sliding the tips of his fingers along my wound.  
"I would make sure this sort of thing didn't happen..."

It was probably one of the most direct statements he had ever made while I was around, and I offered a weak smile.  
Instead of responding I gave in to the temptation of laying down. I placed my hands on the couch, slowly laying my head on his lap.  
Hijikata tensed up at first as if he was caught off guard by the action, but he soon relaxed.  
He didn't say anything else, just placed a hand over my hair.  
His fingers began to softly slide through my hair and I slipped into a dream.


	64. Visitors Have Big Mouths

When I awoke Hijikata was still sitting on the couch.  
He had fallen asleep leaning against the armrest.  
His open palm cupped his cheek, and a hand still rested in my hair.  
I started to lean up, but immediately abandoned the movement as dizziness consumed me.  
Allowing myself to become completely limp, I stared at the far wall wondering how long I would be weak.

_'It's probably just the blood loss... But is it even possible to make more? I need to do something... Other then just lay here...'_

Peering up at Hijikata, I used my good arm to push myself up.  
He stirred slightly, and soon lazily gazed at me.  
I offered a small smile, and the corner of his lip curled into a smirk.  
"Are you feeling better?" His voice was laced with sleep, and I nodded.

Though it wasn't quite true, I didn't want him to think he hadn't helped.  
Sighing loudly he leaned up and started digging through his pocket.  
All I could do was watch, as I was afraid I might fall, if I moved.  
The man pulled his phone out and started dialing a number soon he was talking to who I assumed was Kondou.

"Yeah, I know it's early... Something important came up... I won't be able to make it to my shift... Sorry, I didn't mean to leave so suddenly..."

After a small conversation he closed the phone and peered at me.  
"I'm gonna stay with you for a few days... Just because I want to take a break from work."

It was an obvious excuse, and I thanked him despite the fact that he was trying to down play the fact that he was concerned.  
He stood up, and walked to my kitchen opening the refrigerator.  
When he returned to the couch he handed me a bottled water.

"You need to be extra careful right now... Judging from the looks of your futon you're practically running on E."  
I stared at he raising an eyebrow and he cleared his throat.  
"Like gas... In a car."  
"Oh..." I nodded, feeling stupid for not understanding.

When I reached to the cap of the bottled water I froze.  
"Tch... T- Toushiro, I need you to do me a favor..."  
He stared at me oddly and nodded.  
"I hope you don't mind, but I feel like we've known each other long enough,  
and we've been friends for a while now... I'd like to call you Toushiro..."  
"That's fine... What is it?"

"My arm... When he stabbed me, it fucked up my shoulder blade... I tried to fix it, but..."  
Without a word he immediately sat down beside me.  
"Let me see..."  
I nodded, and turned my back to him.  
He traced his fingers along the ridges of my shoulder blade, and then the top of my shoulder.  
"It didn't look like it, but yeah... It needs to be readjusted..."  
Turning to face him I sighed.  
"I tried to do it myself, but it didn't help much..."  
"What did you do?"

When I explained my temporary solution to him his eyes widened and he shook his head.  
"That's wrong! Don't ever do that again! If anything you just hurt yourself for the hell of it!"  
I averted my gaze and bit down on my lower lip.  
"Well, it kinda helped... Before I couldn't reach forward with it... Now I can reach this far..."  
I stretched my arm out and my hand was level with my shoulder.  
"And if I bend my elbow I can reach higher..." I started to but when he realized that I scowled when I moved he shook his head.  
"Stop, don't demonstrate! It's bad enough without you doing that... If you lay down on the floor I can pop it back..."

Just as I was about to oblige there was a knock at the door.  
Hijikata immediately stood up, motioning for me to stay.  
He didn't ask who it was, just pulled the door open.  
I could only see his back, not who stood in front of him, but it became apparent when the person started yelling.  
"What the fuck are _you_ doing here!?"

"What's it to you?" Hijikata responded.  
Soon Gintoki stomped past him and towards the bedroom.  
When he realized I was on the couch he froze, wide eyed.  
It probably didn't look right. Me sitting on the couch in a pair of panties, and my chest wrapped.  
The fact that a man was with me only made the image look worse, and he scowled.  
"What the hell are you doing?! Huh?" Gintoki glared at me, and I placed my chin in my right palm, staring past him listlessly.

"I don't think you should be yelling at her right now... She-"  
"Shut up nicotine-fiend! This has nothing to do with you!" Gintoki sneered.  
Sighing loudly Hijikata closed the door, and walked to the couch sitting beside me.

"Where are your clothes?" Gintoki asked me and I gazed at the sullied yukata on the floor.  
He didn't seem to understand what was going on.

Finally deciding to break my silence I sighed.  
"Why are you even here? People who hate each other don't visit one another." I stated flatly.  
"Hate?" Hijikata asked. I turned to him nodding.  
"We hate each other. You know how you called me a murderer that one day?"  
Hijikata nodded and I continued.  
"Well, he did the same. But instead of accepting me,  
he frowns upon from his high and mighty mountain top;  
while eating sweet beans, and drinking enough strawberry milk to send himself into a diabetic coma."

Gintoki and Hijikata frowned, but Gintoki averted his gaze.  
"I'm not looking down on you... It's just-"  
"No, I don't want to hear it.. Not a single word... I don't even know why you're here!"  
I cut him off, and Hijikata placed a hand on my shoulder.  
"Um, what's going on between you two?"  
Scowling I shook my head.  
"Nothing. Nothing ever was."

My answer seemed to confuse him even more, probably because of the tone I was using.  
Gintoki scowled at me.  
"Damn it, cut it out! You can't just yell at me every time your upset!"  
"I wasn't yelling until you came in. Like I said hate is a boundary.  
Which people do not cross to have visits, or whatever the hell you're doing... Why are you even here?  
Was it not enough to fuck with my head and make me stop defending myself? Do you know what it's like to not fight back?"  
I glared at him and he sighed loudly. The silver samurai walked to the couch, and Hijikata peered at me awkwardly.

"Okay, something is going on here, and I don't think I belong in this conversation." He stated flatly.

"No, it's fine, you said you needed me to lay on the ground right? On my back?  
Can we hurry up and do this, I want to get the pain out of the way..." I turned to Hijikata ignoring Gintoki.  
"Yeah, on your back. Lay down over there, or you'll hit your head on the wall, or a table if it hurts too much." Hijikata responded.

"Oi! I'm still here damn it! You two are gonna talk about that right in front of me?!  
What the fuck are you thinking?! Have you no shame?!" Gintoki began to yell, and we peered up at him curiously.  
"What? Shame?" I asked.  
"Did you think we were..? We're talking about popping her-"  
Cutting Hijikata off Gintoki continued to shout.  
"No! I don't want to hear it! And you can't, because I already did!"

_'Oh god...'_

I stared at him wide eyed, and when I turned to peer at Hijikata he was looking just as startled.  
"I- He-" Only able to manage a stutter I tried to find an explanation.  
Hijikata was staring at Gintoki, who had crossed his arms and held a winning smirk.

"Her shoulder..." Hijikata stated.  
"Huh?" Gintoki asked.

My face began to burn, and I dropped my head; completely embarrassed.  
"We were talking about her shoulder... It's dislocated..."  
"Oh shit..." Gintoki peered at me, and I hid my face with my right hand, but still peeking through my widely stretched fingers.  
My hair seemed to shield me from the awkward looks I was receiving, but I knew I couldn't hide forever.

"O- Okay, it's time for me to go!" I stood up as quickly as possible, and ignored the light headed sensation that crept over me.  
Fleeing the room I rushed past Gintoki, who was still wide eyed, stuck in his 'Oh shit" moment.

When I reached my room I pulled a yukata on, and strapped my sword to my waist; ignoring the pain.  
The short walk to my room exhausted me, but I was determined to escape.  
How to react to such a situation was a mystery to me, so I would flee and come up with a plan.  
Leaning against the wall between my door and closet, I sighed.  
_'I can't believe he just said that!'_

Opening the door I was met with a very alarmed looking Gintoki.  
He stared at me wide eyed, and I scowled at him.  
"Rein, I didn't mean to tell him that! I thought that you two were going to- You know..."

Shaking my head I stared at him silently.  
The man peered past me, and his gaze fell upon my futon.  
"What happened in here?" He asked.  
"I- I must have passed out... But... You- You just-"  
"Yeah, I know. But he can't have you... Not like that..." He dropped his gaze, and I rolled my eyes.  
"_SO_ what you're saying is you don't want me, but nobody else can have me?"

He shook his head and sighed loudly.  
"No... I'm saying... I- I hate you... That's all..." He turned away from me, and I tiredly shifted my gaze.  
"I know... I hate you too..."

I pushed past the man and started towards the door. When Hijikata saw me he stood up.  
"Where the hell are you going?" He asked obviously upset.  
"Out." I stated flatly.  
"Thanks for helping me, but you don't have to any more..."  
After speaking I reached to the door knob, but a pair of arms wrapped around my back; restraining me.  
"What the-"  
"Come on, do it now!" Gintoki was holding me in place, and I was too weak to pull away.  
Hijikata charged at us.  
"No! No! I'm fine! It's better now! Let me go!" I cried out in protest, but the man latched onto my arm.  
Without a warning he yanked it down, and I shrieked in pain; digging my nails into Gintoki's flesh.

Once finished Hijikata stepped back and admired his work.  
"It should be okay now..." He stated. Leaning back into Gintoki I peered up at the man. He was nodding silently.  
Hijikata opened the door and glared at us over his shoulder.  
"Alright. I'm gonna take off. I have to go to work..."  
Without another word he closed the door. Gintoki released me, and sighed loudly.

"I'll be taking care of you. Not him."

I glared up at the man, and placed a hand to my head.

_'Why is this happening?'_


	65. Testing Hate

After Hijikata left Gintoki just sat on the couch reading a JUMP book.  
It was as comfortable as sitting in the hospital naked waiting for a doctor to return with the results of an STD test.  
At first I just paced back an forth, as much as I could manage.  
A frigid silence engulfed us.  
All I could do was stare at the hard wood beneath my feet, wondering what he would say.  
Sneaking an occasional peek at him I studied the man.  
His elbow rested on his knee, supporting his chin. He blankly gazed at the open book suspended in his free hand.

With the way he was acting, it would appear that nothing had ever happened between us.  
It only added to the discomfort I felt.  
This was as pleasant as strangling a flamingo, in front an animals rights group.  
Awkward was the only word which could describe the way I felt.  
Deciding to leave the room, I walked to my bedroom.  
The futon needed to be thrown away, so I started to fold it up.  
My arm was still sore, but moved much easier then before.  
The plain white walls of the room offered no comfort, even when the door was closed between me and the man with hair of the same shade.

After managing to fold the once tan mattress, I pulled it off of the floor.  
It was much heavier then I remembered, and I almost dropped it; and myself.  
The new wound ached, but I ignored it to the best of my ability; only grimacing slightly.  
I fumbled with the door knob, and some how succeeded in pulling it open.  
Walking down the hallway I tried not to breath the foul smell of old blood, but it was rather difficult.

I passed by the couch only to be met with glare from Gintoki.  
"Oi, pirate's dream... What are you doing?" His eyes seemed to bore into me, and i wished that the mattress was a shield.  
"Just throwing this out... It stinks... What did you call me?" I asked, slightly confused..  
He shook his head and stood up.  
"Pirate's dream... Cause of your sunken chest... You look like a lame duck trying to carry that thing...  
Not even a metaphorical one. A real duck that's actually lame; maybe from stepping on a land mine or something..."  
He held a serious expression, and I frowned.  
"I- I have boobs! And I can do it..."  
He shook his head.  
"A B cup can't be considered boobs... And I don't trust you. You're gonna leave the moment you get outside..."

"Why are you talking about my boobs?" Groaning the words I was met with a devious smile.  
"Drop it..."

I shook my head and he started towards me.  
"Let go... I'll take care of it."  
I raised an eyebrow at him as he stopped in front of me, pushing the mattress down.  
Though I tried to resist it was in vain, as I soon became tired and it fell to the ground.  
"Take off your sword strap..." He commanded.

"No... I'd rather keep it on." I stated, averting my gaze.  
The man still held his mischievous grin and I tried to stare at the rich wooden floor beneath my feet.  
"And that yukata..." He added donning a large smirk, and I felt my cheeks grow warm.

"Yukata? I- No!"  
He inched closer to me stepping past the mattress.  
"Do you want me to take it off for you? It wouldn't be the first time..."  
My pulse quickened, and I didn't know how to respond.  
Instead of trying to think of an answer I silently shook my head, and stepped away from him.

The Yorozura followed after me, reaching for my sword.  
I wondered what he thought the difference between me being dressed and half naked in front of him was.  
It seemed like the difference between being thrown from the 15th and 16th floor – they both kill you.  
It was a hard decision to make; to oblige or refuse.  
The thought of keeping my clothes seemed to make more sense, and would provide more comfort.  
I continued to back away, but he kept coming.  
Completely forgetting about the table I bumped into it, and he stopped in front of me.  
I started to stutter something that even I could not decipher, as the man's hands slipped under my belt.

My sword strap dropped to the floor with a loud thump, and Gintoki started tugging on my yukata.  
"No, I want to keep it on..." I held the fabric firmly in my hands (or at least as firmly as I could) but he pulled at the tie around me.  
When the belt fell on top of my sword strap, I slapped him.  
It wasn't hard, as I had done it with my left hand, and he froze in place holding a startled expression.  
"What the-"  
Cutting him off I couldn't suppress the feeling of violation.  
"I _told_ you, I _want_ to keep it _on_! Why would I take it off in front of you!? I don't trust you enough to-"  
"You don't trust me?" He squinted his eyes, and disappointment took his face.  
Shifting his gaze he sighed, and started back towards the couch.

"You sat in here with Oogushi-Kun with next to nothing on. I've already seen you, but you won't do the same with me? This job sucks."

Rolling my eyes I leaned back onto the table and stared at the plain white ceiling.  
Thousands, possibly millions of tiny ridges spread across it, forming a pattern similar to the roots of a small plant.  
"No body asked _you_ to come here... If it wasn't for your big mouth Toushi would still be here, taking care of me. _He_ didn't seem to mind..."

"Stop calling him that..." He had buried himself in the JUMP from earlier, and I sighed loudly.  
"Why? Are you upset that I'm so close to him? When you think about it, I'm closer to him then I am you.  
I've talked to him about much more. He knows about my past, and why I came to Edo.  
Almost every time I get hurt he patches me up. Toushi is the one person I know that I can always call, no matter what time of night it is."

My statement seemed to catch Gintoki's interest, and he peered up at me.  
"No matter what time of night it is? What do you mean?"  
"Does it matter? It's not like it makes any difference to you." I crossed my arms, and started across the room.  
Gintoki watched as I walked, and I grabbed the bottled water Hijikata had handed me before he left.  
It had been sitting on a small coffee table in front of the couch, and I sat down on the side opposite of Gintoki leaning my right arm onto the armrest.

"You called him last night?" He asked and I nodded.  
"He stayed over here with you?"  
I nodded again and he snorted a note of disapproval.  
"On your couch?" He asked and I nodded again.  
"We _both_ slept on the couch." Still not looking at him, I slowly unscrewed the cap of my water.  
My shoulder and chest ached in response, but I didn't want to show any weakness in front of him so I did my best not to grimace.

Sighing loudly Gintoki stood up and walked to the kitchen.  
He rummaged around through my cabinets and drawers, and just as I started to wonder what he was up to he emerged with a large garbage bag.  
The man silently shoved the sullied futon in the bag, and left the apartment.  
Thankful to be alone I breathed a sigh of relief, and stretched across the couch.  
My toes couldn't touch the arm rest opposite of me, and there was still enough space for Gintoki to sit back down.  
I pulled a black and white striped pillow under my head, and closed my eyes.

When the door opened again I heard it lock and Gintoki returned to the couch.  
The sound of pages from his book flipping filled the air, soon followed by his voice.  
"Uh, Rein?"  
"What?" I asked obviously annoyed.  
"I- Well... I hate you... That's all..."  
"I know." I responded.  
"I hate you too..."


	66. Testing Hate Pt2

"You should know better. That sword belongs to me!" Chizuru stood in front of me, surrounded by blackness.  
I frowned at her, and attempted to voice my disagreement. My voice was nonexistent, and she laughed at me.  
"Aww, look at the little baby! She can't talk! Well, maybe if you had this..." Extending her palm towards me she grinned.  
My gaze settled on a tongue. My tongue. I knew it had to be mine.

Widening my eyes I lunged towards her hand, but she stepped away from me.  
"Shouldn't you be more worried about that?" My sister pointed to my sword which was displayed on a pedestal.  
My mind fell blank, and I shifted my gaze between my tongue and my sword.  
"Pick one. You can only have ONE. So choose wisely..." She giggled at the end of my sentence, and grief fell over me.  
Sighing loudly I hesitantly reached for my sword.  
Slowly making my way through the blackness, I knew that it was more important to defend myself then speak.

When my hand came in contact with the blade, it cracked loudly; startling me.  
I jumped back, in astonishment, unable to pry my eyes away from the sword.  
Loud shrieks of laughter shattered the deathly silence which had surrounded me.  
The sheath, and entire sword began to crumbled beneath my outstretched fingertips starting from the point in the middle which I had grabbed.  
It turning to sand, and poured over the edge of the pedestal, leaving nothing but a horizontal sword stand behind.

_'This must be Chizuru's fault, she did this!'_  
Enraged, I twisted around to face the woman, and the laughter faded away.  
Behind me stood Gintoki, holding two caterpillars.  
He stared at me with a soft expression, one which looked as though it would break if I stared at him too long.  
"If it doesn't make it to the cocoon..." He stated. His voice had an echo to it, and I frowned.  
Before my eyes the caterpillars crept to his thumbs perching upside down.  
At an outrageous speed their skin hardened starting at their heads and consuming the rest of their small bodies..  
Gintoki remained still as the cocoons hardened, and time seemed to freeze.

"Here..." He extended one of his hands towards me, and when I accepted the cocoon he gently broke it off, and rolled it into my palm.  
I stared at the little shell knowing that a butterfly would emerge.  
Time began to slide by again and the cocoon in my hand grew dark.  
Instead of the silvery green shade it had once been it turned black, and withered in my hand.  
Soon the cocoon turned to dust and blew away.  
Gintoki shook his head in disappointment.  
"How can you love me if you can't even show sympathy for a defenseless cocoon?"

My chest tightened and heart dropped at his words.  
The cocoon in his hands stirred and a paper thin crack filled the air.  
Soon the caterpillar inside pushed its way out, but now it had winds. White wings.  
It pulled itself from the cocoon, and crawled onto Gintoki's thumb.  
The cocoon dropped to the blackness below us, and he gazed at me.  
"You killed it..." Was all he said and I shook my head, feeling my eyebrows turn up, and furrow.

"And now you wont even say anything. Are you not sorry? You don't even feel bad about it? It was fine until you held it!"  
Sneering the words, his expression hardened into an icy glare, and I dropped my gaze.  
It was impossible to tell him I couldn't talk. That I had no tongue.  
I reached for him, and he stepped away.  
Unable to accept defeat I pushed towards him, finally wrapping my hands into his shirt.  
I clenched the fabric as hard as I could, feeling my eyes burn.  
When I gazed up at him he looked alarmed; panicked.  
The man turned to sand before my eyes, starting with his clothes. He began to blow away on a breeze I could not feel.  
The butterfly lept from his hand, and flew over him as he fell apart.  
"This is all your fault!" Was the last thing he said before completely blowing away.  
Alone I remained in place not daring to move. What else could I break?  
Nothing in this world was meant for me. Nothing existed in this world but myself.  
Not a single grain of Gintoki. Not a single grain of my sword.  
Now I could feel the breeze. A cold, unsettling wind.  
One of judgement, filled with hate. The only thing left to break was me. Alone I knew that I would break.

* * *

A heavenly aroma filled the air, along with the sound of frying food.  
Low murmurs graced my ears, and I tried to make sense of them.  
"Stupid girl... Trying to make me jealous... I don't care if she... Idiot. I hate her... Hates me... But-"  
The voice died down, and was replaced with the a scraping sound.  
Opening my eyes, I started to stretch, but immediately froze when my left hand was level with my face.

Gintoki didn't turn to face me, and I sat up, sighing softly.  
_'What an odd dream... more of a nightmare...'_

attempting to shake the feeling of dread that had stemmed from the dream, I ran my hand over the side of my face, and into my hair.  
After a few seconds I stood up, and walked into the kitchen behind Gintoki.  
He muttered something like "Dumb girl... Doesn't trust me... Fucking slept with that damn cop..." and I shook my head.

He was pushing around some vegetables and meat in a frying pan, and they were turning a golden shade.  
"Oh, Gintoki... What are you doing?" I sighed the words, and he jumped slightly, turning to face me.  
"When the hell did you get in here?" He was frowning at me, with a look that only teenagers get when caught reading porn by their parents.

"Just now..." I responded. He nodded slowly, and shifted his gaze back to the frying pan.  
We sat in silence and he turned the stove off.  
"There's food." He stated as if I hadn't seen him cooking.  
I nodded, and started to reach towards the cabinet, but the thought of bumping him stopped me.  
_'What if he really turns into sand? Or dies?'  
_

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked raising an eyebrow at me.  
Averting my gaze I stared at the plain stainless steel refrigerator.

He waited for an answer, but upon realizing he would get none he stepped towards me.  
"Oi, listen... We really need to talk..."  
Peering up at him I was met with an intense gaze that seemed to pierce through me.  
"What is it?" I asked, trying to sound calm. I didn't like the sound of talking with him.  
Especially when he spoke in such a serious tone.  
"Look, don't hit me... I just..." No further explanation was offered before he connected his lips with mine in a swift movement.  
I froze in place, not sure of how I should react, but not allowing myself to be swept away with the unexpected gesture.  
His hands settled on my shoulders, and one moved to my chin, forcing me to look up to him.

When he pulled back, he was obviously conflicted; it showed on his face.  
"You really hate me? You didn't feel anything at all?"

My gaze dropped, and I bit down on my lower lip, slowly crossing my arms.  
It was true that it felt as though my heart skipped a beat. That it would maybe even stop if he had continued.  
It was also true that I wanted nothing more then to be with him, but I couldn't tell him that.  
I couldn't let him think that he could just use me as he pleased, and then leave the moment he obtained what he had been searching for.  
An admission of fondness was like an invitation to break my heart, which felt as though it had cracked the moment he left the last time.

He stared at me expectantly, and I took a deep breath.  
"I- Of course I hate you!"  
It sounded as though his breath caught, but he nodded.  
Sighing deeply he spoke.  
"I just wanted to make sure... Because I hate you too, and it would be annoying if you didn't. That's all."

he quickly walked away, and I frowned after him as he left.  
_'What was with that tone? Did I make a mistake? Should I have- No, no, no...  
I can't tell him anything... I shouldn't read to far into that... He said he was just making sure...'_


	67. Better as Friends

Over two weeks passed, and eventually Gintoki left.  
Every night we slept on the couch, but some nights I wondered if he slept at all.  
My wound was still sore, but not as excruciating as before.  
The entire week Gintoki barely even spoke to me.  
His cooking was the best though. It was amazing; especially for a man who loved sweets.  
I expected him to only cook cakes, and while he did just that, he also made dinner and breakfast for me, but claimed it was just because I couldn't.  
When he left I was sort of sad to see him go, but I knew that it was inevitable.

The nights were filled with nightmares, about fucking butterflies. Of all things. Butterflies.  
Occasionally he would wake me, saying that i had said his name, but I always denied it.  
Instead I claimed to have been at a bar, asking for gin.  
After the nightmares I decided to change my life. Or at least try to. I would try to get a job. A normal one.  
It sounded ridiculous, I could never imagine myself folding clothes, and helping women try them on, or running a cash register.  
But is that was what regular women did, I would try.

The weakness that had stemmed from my lack of blood subsided.  
Slowly but surely. Though I was still faint at times, I could manage on my own.  
This was the first time that I had to rest. The first time that I actually had to stop everything I was doing.  
It was like hibernating. All I did was sleep.

Finally ready to go back outside, and continue working, I decided to look for my payment from my last job.  
I had never received it, but I would make sure to. Especially after such a tedious injury.

I got dressed and washed up as per usual.  
After pulling my sword strap on, I left the house in search of the old man who had hired me.  
The sound of rain echoed around me, and the day was dull and grey. Exactly how I liked it.  
In whether like this every body carried umbrellas, but I saw no need too.  
I enjoyed the sensation of raindrops falling upon me. Warm or cold, it didn't matter, it was all the same.  
Today the sky chose to make the sprinkle a cold one, and I walked down the street, headed towards the old man's house.  
Before I got there,I ran into Hijikata.  
He was smoking a cigarette as usual, and holding a black umbrella over his head.  
The umbrella matched his uniform, and I decided to stop and talk to him.

I crossed the road to the side walk he was standing on, and we made eye contact. Offering a slight smile I began.  
"Hey, you. How's your day so far?"  
He tilted his head to the side, and smirked down at me.  
"Same as always. What are you doing out so soon? You should rest for at least a month."  
"I can't do that." I responded reaching to steal his cigarette.  
He let me take it, muttering "I guess you are feeling better".  
I chuckled slightly at his words, and gazed into the sky.  
"Why don't you have an umbrella? You'll catch a cold."  
The metallic ridges of his umbrella blocked my view, and I shifted my gaze to his.  
"I like this kind of weather..."

He wasn't acting as awkward as I had expected.  
It was almost as if he had completely forgotten the scene with Gintoki.  
It was relieving, yet nerve wracking at the same time, as I didn't know what to expect from him.

"Oh...Before I forget, come with me..."  
Grabbing my sleeve, Hijikata led me between two stores and through an alleyway that had been behind him.  
When we reached the back lot he stopped tugging me and reached into his pocket.  
"About two weeks ago, around the time you were hurt we got a call.  
Apparently some woman with black hair saved a bunch of missing girls.  
All of the girls described the same woman, but said they couldn't see well.  
One of their fathers added that she had grey eyes, and a sword.  
The woman said to call us, so we could take credit for it. I assume that was you right?"

He eyed me, obviously sure that it was. I nodded, and shifted my gaze.  
"Well, by the time we got there, all of the gang members were dead, except for one of them.  
Also the old man gave us something to give to the woman that saved his daughter..." He pulled an envelope from his pocket.  
"Said he didn't pay you..."

I stared at it, and then at him.  
"You aren't going to arrest me? Didn't I just confess to killing all of those men?"  
He nodded and shifted his gaze, taking the cigarette from me.  
"Well, obviously they attacked you first, right?"  
I nodded, and he sighed.  
"Well, I don't see a point in arresting you for self defense..."  
After grumbling the words he took a long drag from the cigarette and flicked it away.  
I bit my lip unsure of what to think.  
He was still extending the payment towards me, and I hesitantly took it from him.

For some unexplainable reason, I felt as though he was the only person who truly understood me.  
Maybe it was stupid, but the fact that every time we spoke I felt closer to him was undeniable.  
I didn't think about what I did next. and it obviously caught him off guard.  
I latched onto his shirt, and pulled him into a deep kiss.  
His umbrella dropped to the ground, yet the sound seemed to be muffled by the rain.  
Surprisingly he kissed me back, with more force then expected.  
His arms wrapped around me, pulling me tightly against his body, and his lips moved against mine.  
He groaned into my lips, and it seemed as though we would never stop; like we couldn't.  
But eventually he pulled away from me, gasping for air.

"Rein, I- I told you... I can't have a relationship... Not like this..."  
Shifting my gaze, I felt as though I had made a big mistake.  
He did not appear to be pleased.  
The man picked his umbrella up, and turned it to the side, pouring water from the makeshift bowl..  
"Yeah..." I responded, after a long pause.  
"We're better as friends. I'm sure you agree.  
What would happen if it didn't work out? Things could get awkward..." He peered into my eyes, and I nodded.  
"You're right. I'm sorry... I don't know what I was thinking..."

"You probably weren't..." He sighted loudly, and appeared to be trying to cool off.  
"Stupid." He added, and I cracked a small smile.

"Well, let it never be said that I didn't try."  
"Yeah. Good try too, you almost had me." He responded, smirking at me.  
"But you're right... It probably is better this way... At least I have somebody to stitch me up.  
And somebody on the inside of the Senshingumi. I'll never be arrested now!" I snickered at the statement, and he echoed the laugh.  
"Guess not."

Without another word I left, feeling slightly stupid, but at the same time relieved to have such a good friend.  
Since I received my payment there was nothing to do. I spent the afternoon filling out applications.  
It was rather difficult. For the boxes that asked what my previous job experience was I knew I couldn't write mercenary.  
Or even free lance. That wouldn't look good.  
I thought about lying, but knew that I didn't know how to do anything else.  
If ever I were asked to explain myself I wouldn't be able to.

The kiss hung on my mind all day, like one of the rain clouds over head.  
When I truly thought about it, it seemed that I only did it because he was so similar to Gintoki.  
And he was. Ridiculously similar. Practically identical.  
But still, I couldn't accept the fact that I always thought of the Samurai.  
I didn't want to especially after such an awkward morning with him.  
It was more then a month ago, but the thought still hurt.  
Though I had tried to suppress the emotions they seemed to boil over every so often, and I didn't know how to handle them.  
The only thing I was sure of was the fact that I couldn't tell Gintoki.

I bought a new futon, and had the furniture store deliver it. It was the kind that looked like a couch but folded down into a bed.  
The mattress was black, and I decided it would be best that way in case something similar to my newest injury ever happened.  
The store was having a sale, some sort of buy a bed, get a nice pair of sheets for half price.  
They only had a few sheet sets left, and they were made of some form of silk.  
Never had I owned a bed set so nice so I jumped at the opportunity.  
The only had one black pair left, but it was too big.  
Knowing that it wouldn't matter and I could just tuck the fitted sheet under the mattress I decided to buy that as well.

After picking out a grey and white stripped comforter, I started home.

It didn't take long for some moving men to bring the bed. They set it up for me and left.  
I knew that I would be sleeping well for the night. And hopefully many after.


	68. Shopping Spree

The next morning I awoke slowly.  
The silky sheets proved useful, I had fallen into a dream the moment I laid down in them.  
They were so soft I didn't want to get up.  
I imagined heaven was like that. Always feeling silky, and comfortable.  
The bed didn't even matter. The sheets were the crème de la crème.

It didn't matter if I was standing up, on a boulder, in sand, or even on the floor.  
I would sleep. And the floor theory was proven multiple times, as I had slipped right onto the floor in the middle of the night.  
The impact awoke me, but it definitely wasn't the sheets.

The thought of parting with my bed was unbearable.  
It seemed that Gintoki would have competition after all.  
If he never actually stated that he loved me, I would marry my bed (Or rather the sheets) and live happily ever after.  
The silk would never make the mornings awkward, or leave me.  
They would never complain about which strawberry milk they should buy, or that I was a murderer.  
Never cause guilt or even drama. That is, unless I failed to get out of them. Then it would be a different story.

Slowly tearing myself away from my bed, I walked to the closet beside my door.  
_'I'm running out of clothes... I need to go shopping. Soon.'  
_Sighing at the thought, I was just happy that the yukata I had picked out with Jun was still good.  
'I'll wear this today...'  
Pulling the silver grey robe from the hanger I proceeded with my morning ritual.

As I left the apartment and started down the stairs I ran into a certain familiar girl.  
A purple haired pop star, dressed in her usual suspicious get up.  
Trench coat, and dark sunglasses.  
"Rein-Chan! -Smelly bacon books!"  
I eyed her and she pursed her lips.  
"Sorry... Hey, What are you doing today?" After waiting for me to reach her side she bounced down the stairs with me.  
Well, I wasn't bouncing, but you get it.

"Nothing in particular. Right now I'm taking a short break. So- What are you doing here?"  
I peered at the girl and a wide grin curled her lips.  
"I wanted to hang out, it's been ages! - Liquid F-" She glanced at me and I sighed, waving my hand dismissively.  
"Go ahead... Get it out. You look like you'll explode if you don't."  
Nodding she continued. "Liquid fairy cakes!"

"We can hang out, I was just thinking about how I need to buy some more yukatas."  
As soon as the words escaped my lips I regretted it.  
The girl squealed in delight.  
"OKAY! I'll help you pick out some super cute accessories too!  
And shoes! And hats! Yes, hats! Oh, and we can get some jewels and decorate your sword cover thingy!"  
Unable to contain the scowl that pushed it's way onto my face I glared at the girl.  
How dare she want to bedazzle my sheath.  
"Too far? Sorry... Yukatas and accessories, got it." She nodded looking oddly scared.  
My look didn't lessen, and she shifted her gaze.  
"Okay... Just yukatas..."

Finally satisfied, I allowed her to lead me to a store.

* * *

"Look at this! This is a nice necklace! It would look so good on you! Oh, friendship bracelets! We have to get these!"  
Once inside of the store Tsu was running wild.

The store was filled with racks of clothing. Anything that you could think of, it had.  
A delicate floral perfume hung in the air, and the walls were a deep blue shade.  
There was a round wooden island in the middle with two sales associates, and cash registers.  
The women knew Tsu, and she spoke to them kindly before rampaging through the store in a disturbingly girly manner.

She grabbed any and everything she could get her hands on. But this time in particular she had found something that I liked.  
The necklace she held in her hand was in the shape of a katana. The handle held onto the chain, and the sheath looked real.  
Upon further inspection, I found that the sheath could come off, and there was a real blade inside.  
It was barely as long as the tip of my finger, but I liked it.  
"What about the bracelet?" She asked eagerly, seeing that I was fond of the other accessory.  
I looked at it, and it was pink. Definitely not.  
"If you get it in a different color, I'll wear it. Like black."  
She pouted and I tried again.  
"Grey..."  
Still disappointment.  
"Blue?"  
She seemed happier, but not completely satisfied.  
"Okay... Purple. Like your hair or something. Maybe a little darker. No yellow. No red, orange pink or green. That would never match my clothes..."  
It was true, I didn't have any problem with the colors, but I never wore them.  
It was just more simple to stick to basic colors, that weren't flashy for my job.

When I said purple, the girl immediately grinned an dashed off to find new ones.  
I grabbed a multitude of black and grey yukatas. Also some blue and purple ones.  
As I was about to finish I saw a dark green robe in the back of the room.  
The shade was pleasing, and I decided one new color wouldn't kill me.  
I hadn't let go of the necklace yet, and opted to buy it.  
Tsu returned, and she held up a deep purple bracelet and I nodded.  
"I like it."  
My answer seemed to excite her, and she looked as though a child who had just been told it could keep five puppies would.

"You know, they say that when friends wear the same bracelets, they're automatically closer.  
Like they'll never get tired of each other or want to leave on another's sides." Tsu spoke in a low tone and I turned to her.  
"Really?" It was obvious that she wanted a friend; badly.  
Offering the girl a small smile I chuckled.  
"I'm not tired of you. You're rather fun. It's good for me to be around somebody who's so cheerful.  
A friend, that is. You know, I'm not like that so a new perspective is refreshing."  
The statement made a wide grin form on her lips.

For once she seemed to relax, and I realized that all she had been waiting for was for me to call her a friend.  
The statement she had made about the bracelets hung in my mind. I laid my new yukatas in a basket, along with the necklace, and bracelets.  
"Wait, you're getting a green one? Lets get green instead of purple then! It'll match my microphone! - Bumpy metal face!"  
I agreed and we walked to the jewelry section.  
She grabbed the bracelets to exchange them, and I saw another necklace that was identical to the one I had.  
_'Make them closer huh?'_  
Though the thought was silly, I grabbed another one and hid it under one of my yukatas.  
Tsu returned with green bracelets and I started towards the cash registers.

"Wait... What about shoes, and lacy unmentionables?"  
I turned to gaze at her over my shoulder, but upon seeing the look on her face my heart dropped.  
It was the sort of expression that struck fear into the hearts of animals and small children.  
_'I'm not getting out of this am I?'_

And I was right. I wasn't.


	69. Shopping Spree Pt2

"These too!"  
Standing in a dressing room I coward in fear as what could only be described as a deep dark cloud of despair, and lingerie fell towards me.  
It was almost guaranteed that I would be crushed by the outrageous number of panties and bra sets that came flying over the top of the wooden door.  
The light above me disappeared and I could hear Tsu laughing on the other side of the door.

I would be crushed. Death by panties.  
The hyperbole was almost spot on, and I was practically knocked over by what seemed to be two tons of intimates.  
After regaining my balance I picked up a few pairs and decided I should just pretend I had tried them on.  
_'They should fit...'_

The colors matched my new clothes and I nodded, noting the determined expression the girl in the mirror wore.  
After fighting through the mountain of frilly pastel cloth I managed to leave the room.  
"So did you like some of them?" Tsu asked curiously.  
I held my choices up.  
"That's so boring! Get the pink ones too!"  
I wanted to ask her which pair, as it wasn't like she hadn't thrown hundreds on top of me.  
But I refrained from doing so, because I knew that she would dig through all of the sets for one specific match.

"Boring? But there's lace on these two, and this one even has two colors on it!"  
I held up a grey an black pair, and she narrowed her eyes at me, sighing.  
"You're hopeless. Are you sure you're a girl?" She asked.  
I nodded slowly, frowning in confusion.  
"Well, I don't make a habit of checking, but I think so..." I responded.  
She remained silent, staring at me, but soon started giggling.

"Okay, over here too!"  
I barely had time to grab my basket and put the new items in before she was dragging me to another side of the store.  
Staring at the clustered shelves of an oddly aromatic corner of the store I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed.  
"Fancy soaps and perfumes. I decided I'm gonna buy some of this stuff for you cause I know I filled the basket, not you."  
She nodded enthusiastically and pointed at the shelves.  
"Pick some!"

Wide eyed I scanned the plethora of products in front of me.  
"I can't let you do that... I can afford it... But- I don't even know what half of this stuff is!"  
Helplessness crept over me, and she sighed loudly; shaking her head.  
"You poor thing... I won't take no for an answer... And that's what I'm here for! I will make you the most girly of girly girly girls out there!"  
I didn't want to admit it, but my stomach dropped at the sound of all of those girlies strung together.  
My face bunched up, and I watched as a hidden platform sprung out of the ground, rotating slowly and raising the girl up in front of me.  
She had pulled a green microphone from what seemed to be thin air again.  
What seemed to be an evil genius laugh parted her lips and I stared up at her wide eyed.

_'She's distracted now... I should run...' _Nodding to myself, I turned and started away; as quickly and discretely as possible.  
I ducked behind a cardboard cut out of a woman in a red dress, and some sort of speech bubble beside her head.  
_"Where do you think you're going..?" _  
A dark demonic growl came from behind me, and I turned ever so slowly only to find the purple haired pop star, glaring at me.  
I clawed at the air, and the cardboard cut out (which offered no help and crashed to the ground, after snapping in half)  
as I was yanked back to the bath and body corner.

"No- No I don't need it!" I screamed.  
"YES- YOU- DO! YOU'RE A GIRL! EVERY GIRL NEEDS IT!"

I frantically shifted my gaze over the few customers and sales associates in the store wishing, no, begging with my eyes to be saved.  
But was only met with odd, and even astonished looks.  
Some women were even covering their mouths with their hands.  
And I knew they were more concerned with my reaction. Not the cotton candy girl behind me, forcing me to buy bath products and perfume.

Thirty minutes later we settled on a smokey sandalwood bath set.  
Tsu then dragged me to the make up, and I drew the line there.  
The girl somehow managed to talk me into trying to put some on myself.  
Sitting in front of a small vanity mirror I held what she called the wand of liquid eye liner in my hand.  
_'Sounds magical...' _I grumbled in my mind.  
When I tried to put it on she laughed at me. Hard.  
"NO- No, REIN! You- You don't just make the biggest straight line you can! You actually TRY to keep it ON your eye lashes!"  
I scowled at her through the mirror, and she doubled over with laughter.  
Completely embarrassed I laid the thing down, and tried to wipe the black line away.  
It smudged and only got worse. Tsu started laughing harder. Her face turned red, and veins started to pop out of her neck.  
"OI! Stop laughing at me! I- I just did what you said!" The corners of my mouth dropped and I stared at her frowning and wide eyed.  
I would not do it. Not without a gun to my head, and a straight jacket.

She threw a wet napkin to me, and I wiped the make up away, still pissed. Completely pissed.  
Standing up I quickly walked away and to the cash register.  
Tsu joined me, and even split the bill with me. She had picked up clothes as well.  
The girl had a basket with more things then I did,  
but I knew that my clothes were more expensive when accompanied with the lingerie and bath products.  
Honestly I was just thankful that I was in my line of work.  
The pay was never too shabby, as dangerous missions required proper funding.

When we left the store she pulled me into another that was right next door to it.  
It was a phone shop, and she picked out a small basic flip phone.  
"You should get this!" Flipping it open she extended it towards me.  
I thought she would hit me in the face, but it stopped only inches away from me.  
I stared at it wide eyed, almost stunned.  
"Its a monthly plan. Unlimited for a certain fee... Come on!"  
The girl dragged me to the counter, and soon I was the owner of a new phone.  
Without even saying a word.  
Honestly I was just thankful she hadn't grabbed something pink.  
It was silver, and she pulled me in the direction of my apartment.

When we reached my place, I let her in, and we set our bags by the small dining table in front of the door.  
"That was fun! We should do it again some time!" The girl beamed a smile at me, and I nodded.  
"Yeah... Fun..." More like a complete overload of my mind and two very important senses. (Such as smell and sight.)  
I gathered my bags, and carried them to my room.  
When I returned Tsu was sitting at one of the dining chairs, plugging my new phone up.  
She explained how to use it to me, and we exchanged numbers.  
"I don't call or text very often, but if you ever want to hang out with me then don't hesitate to call!"  
She smiled as she spoke, and though I was completely exhausted I returned her expression.

"Hey, lets go out again. To the bar."  
Her suggestion was rather sudden, and I raised an eyebrow at her.  
"I have alcohol here." It was true, I had never opened the bottle that Dai had given me again.  
She shook her head.  
"No it's more fun to go out. Let's wear our new clothes too, and our new perfume.  
I wish you would have let me pick out some high heels for you or cute sandals...  
Combat boots are so..." She didn't complete the statement, but I knew it wasn't going to be positive.

"But these are kinda new..." I gazed down at the black boots as I spoke.  
I had never gotten my shoes back from Takasugi, so I was forced to buy more.

The girl and I spoke for a few more minutes before we split up to change into our favorite new outfits.  
I chose a black Yukata with a white belt, which had an intricate black pattern on it.  
She of course chose a pink yukata with a yellow belt.  
"You could of at least picked the green one..." She grumbled the words and I sighed.  
We used our new perfumes, and I grabbed my new phone.

Tsu collected her bags, and grinned at me.  
"Let's drop these off at my place first."  
I nodded, and we caught a taxi.

* * *

When we arrived at the bar, Tsu once again ordered a round of drinks, pressuring me to join her.  
I was hesitant at first, that is, until my pride kicked in.  
_'I'm an adult. I can do that. She's younger then me, and it doesn't seem to bother her... Wait. Is she even old enough to be in here?!'_

I choked the drink down, and Tsu ordered another.  
" Oi, drink guy! Two more shits! I mean, shots! Two more!" She yelled at the bartender.  
"It's not drink guy, it's Katsura."

I stared at the man oddly.  
"Why are you always the bartender in these stories?" I asked, unable to keep the script any longer.  
I knew the author wouldn't mind, as she was part of me, in a sense.  
"Because, I have Elizabeth. And it's the best way to work me into the story." He responded with a thoughtful nod.  
"Don't worry, this is just my part time job in this one." With that he refilled my glass, and Tsu turned to me.  
"Oh, look who it is! Did you give him a good night last time? - Dirty paper frogs." She flashed me a devious smile, and I shook my head silently.

After the third shot, we were sitting at the bar, talking.  
I had explained my situation with Gintoki to her, and she grew increasingly angry.  
"You know what? You know what you should do?"  
"What?" I asked. We were both slurring pretty badly, but for the sake of the readers the author decided to write as if we were speaking normally.

"You should go over there- And yell at him! Give him a piece of your mind!"  
She offered an exasperated nod, and I frowned.  
"Really? I did that once though."  
"Yeah- YEAH really! - Diamond sparkly truck his ass!"  
Her use of the random statement befuddled me, yet some how reassured me that it was alright.

"Yeah, I should!" I stated standing up.  
"You should!" She echoed pumping a fist into the air.

"Oi, Rapunzel, give me another!" Gintoki shouted from across the wooden bar.  
"It's not Rapunzel, It's Katsura." Katsura replied.  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. hurry up."  
Gintoki sounded as if he was in a bad mood, and already drunk.  
"GO- Go do it before I forget what your about to go do. Now." Tsu stared up at me, an I nodded.


	70. Yeah Hate

Making my way over the rich hard wood floor I stumbled to Gintoki's side of the bar.  
He stared up at me blankly, and I glared down at him.  
"What?" He asked in a monotone.  
"You, that's what!" I replied sitting down beside him, seething in anger.  
"What?" He repeated, now sounding confused.

Scowling I ordered another drink.  
Katsura brought two shot glasses over, placing one in front of Gintoki and one in front of me.  
"What do you want Rein? Can't you see I'm busy?"  
Peering up at the man I humorously snorted at his statement.  
"Busy doing what? Drowning yourself in spiked strawberry milk?"  
He rolled his eyes at me, and shifted his gaze to the small clear cup in front of him.  
"No, stupid. You don't understand the truth of strawberry milk, therefore you have no right to make jokes about it.  
But I'm definitely not thinking about you... Hey, that's a cute waitress over there, I'm gonna go hit on her.  
Makes more sense then talking to _you_." He started to stand up but I tightly gripped his sleeve.  
Gintoki had pointed the woman out. She was a busty blond in a bunny suit.  
Why she was dressed like a damn bunny was beyond me, but I definitely didn't want him to go over there.  
"Oi! Don't try to make me jealous! It's not gonna work!"  
He gazed down at me smirking.  
"Then why'd you stop me?"  
Sighing loudly I let him go.  
"Fine, go hit on her. I hope you break her heart too- and- she kills you with a rusty plastic spork."  
Upon hearing my words an odd expression crossed his face.  
He sat back down, placing his elbow on the bar, and draping his hand in front of his lips.  
"I just realized she's not really my type..."

_'I've been around Tsu for too long...' _The thought jumped into my head, and I knew it was true.  
My conversational vocabulary normally wouldn't string random words like plastic rust and spork together.  
It didn't even make sense..

"Alllll right everybody! Are you ready to dance?! - Sticky leather shit!" An excited voice filled the room, echoing over a pair of loud speakers.  
It was Tsu...  
The crowd cheered excitedly, and she started singing her signature song.  
The girl bounced around the stage, almost falling over the small carpeted step.  
Despite her almost falling, she didn't stop singing. She kept on, and her voice grew increasingly louder.  
As if she was angrily screaming the words at the audience. They loved it.

"What do you mean break her heart _too_?" Gintoki asked, nudging me lightly.  
"I mean..." Unable to think of a good excuse I sighed.  
"Damn it, Gin, you piss me off." I glared at him, forcing an annoyed expression to conceal the previous 'caught in headlights' look.  
"Yeah well you piss me off too." He retorted, flashing me a deadpan expression.  
"Oh really? Well, I hate you." I reached for my drink, and he crossed his arms.  
"I hate you too."  
"Well, I hate your... face." Calling out the first thing I thought of, I still watched the man.  
He nodded, frowning.  
"Oh yeah? Well I hate your... Boobs..." He declared, crossing his arms.  
"Yeah! And I hate your hair too..." I added.  
His jaw dropped as if I had struck a chord.  
"Oi, Leave my hair out of this! You don't know the pain of having permanent-permed hair!"  
I shrugged and offered a challenging smirk.  
"I hate your... skin! It's all smooth and... Covered in scars... It's distracting..."  
"Hmph... I hate your... Muscles. They're... too big, and... firm... And well... Distracting too..."

Leaning forward, Gintoki pointed at me.  
"Yeah? well you weren't saying that when you were kissing them!"  
"I- You-! Shut up! That's because I was too distracted... Like I said...  
And you didn't say anything about my scars when you were tracing them with your tongue! ... All soft, and warm, and stuff..."  
"Yeah? Well... Like I said... Distracting... I hate your eyebrow."  
Leaning back I placed my hand over my mouth, masking a small gasp.  
"How dare you! Kagura-Chan loves my eyebrow!"  
"Yeah well I don't." He peered at me blankly, and I huffed in frustration.  
"You know what? You sound like you wanna fight!" I stood up, scooting my chair back and placing my hand on my sword.  
"Yeah? Well maybe I do!" He stood up as well, grabbing his bokken.

* * *

3o minutes later

Crashing through my front door, I was careful not to break my lips from his.  
He had pushed it open with a strong hand, and I held him by his shirt pulling him closer; inside.  
The room was dark and he pushed me into the wall beside the door; flipping the switch.  
He slammed the door shut with his foot, and we started snatching the clothes off of one another.  
Everything was a blur, and he pushed me towards the bedroom.  
He probably didn't know I had another bed yet.  
It seemed too far, and we didn't even make it to the hall before our weapons dropped, along with everything else.  
His tongue wrestled with mine and I fell back on to the couch, pulling the man with me.  
He landed atop me and roughly bit my lip, pulling me up against himself.  
The man pushed me back to the couch with his lips; still invading mine.  
Leaning forward I tugged his boxers off, an he in turn freed me of my own fabric restraints.

His hand slipped across my skin, resting on my waist, and he pushed inside of me roughly.  
My back arched at the sensation, and I gasped loudly.  
His hand laced through my hair, gripping it tightly, and he pulled me back to his lips.  
A groan pierced the air as he slammed into me, and I wrapped my leg around his; allowing him further access.  
Leaning up, I pushed against his lips, savoring every muffled groan he released.  
Breaking away from him, I started a trail of kisses on his chest, roaming over his collar bone, and settling on his neck.  
Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I lightly bit his skin, resulting in a low sultry growl from him.  
He tightly gripped my hip with one hand, using the other to hold himself up.

Gin's motions grew rougher, and I allowed a moan to part my lips.  
One of my hands slid to his chest tracing over his firm muscles,  
and he moved his neck away from me; opting to steal my lips instead.  
We moaned in unison, and I pushed against him, grinding my hips.  
His breath caught, but soon he forced out a moan.  
"Oi... Stop- You're gonna-"  
The words were but a pant, and I cut them off quickly.  
"No..." I answered, and he leaned his forehead on my shoulder.  
The air in the room had a chill to it, contradicting the warmth that radiated off of our bodies.

His hair matted to my skin, and our sweat mingled.  
I began to trace my lips over Gintoki's shoulder, leaving him another trail of kisses.  
He grunted, and ran his tongue over my neck, sending a chill down my spine.  
When his teeth scraped against my skin I felt myself tighten around him in response.  
He throbbed inside of me, signaling that he wouldn't be able to hold out much longer.

A strong wave of pleasure rocked me, arching my back.  
Soon Gintoki joined me, filling the room with our small pants and groans of lust.

The ecstasy left us gasping for air, and laid on top of me placing his head on my chest.  
"Your heart... It's racing..." The words were barely audible, but I heard him clearly.  
I gazed down and him, and he didn't move.  
"That's what happens when you work out... Don't try to act like yours isn't..."  
It was true, I could feel his heart against my stomach.

The couch was barely long enough for us to fit on it.  
Some how we still managed to be comfortable.  
Sighing deeply I laid my arm over the mans shoulder, softly stroking his back.  
I laced my free hand into his silver hair, gently playing with the curls.  
He didn't move, but I felt him relax against me.  
"Gin?"  
"Hmm?" He asked lazily.  
"I hate you..." I stated in a low tone, weakly smirking.  
"Yeah, I hate you too..." He chuckled lightly, and I could hear the smile in his voice.

Yeah... Hate...


	71. Reality is Confusing

When morning arrived, I gazed at the man resting on my chest.  
It had only been a few minutes since I awoke, but I had been silently panicking the whole time.  
_'Damn it, I did it again! What do I do? I can't move, his arms are wrapped around me.  
If I even think of moving he'll probably wake up! What should I do?! How did this even happen?!  
We were fighting, and then... Oh...' _I averted my gaze when I realized how he got me here.

_'He stopped fighting, and just grabbed me.  
Out of nowhere he started kissing me...  
In the middle of the bar... Oh my god...  
Tsu probably saw us... I was supposed to yell at him, not sleep with him!'_

Trying to calm myself, I closed my eyes hoping to immediately, and I mean IMMEDIATELY go back to sleep.  
Hopefully I would wake up, and this would be a dream. Or a nightmare.  
Needless to say It didn't happen. Not in the slightest.  
_'I should just get up. Tell him to hurry up and leave. Then I can go to bed.'_

It sounded like a good idea, and I started to slide from under him.  
"Where are you going?" Gintoki's low voice startled me.  
It wasn't so much as a question, more like he was stating the he wouldn't let me up.  
"When did you wake up?!" Unable to conceal the surprise in my voice I continued to pull away.  
Sighing loudly Gintoki freed me, and I scanned the room for my yukata.  
"It was kinda hard not to wake up with you heart going crazy underneath me."  
His voice was flat, and I did my best ignoring his completely exposed body.  
It truly was enticing, and I bit my lower lip, silently scolding myself.

Despite my attempts to dissuade my eyes from indulging, I couldn't help myself.  
The firm ridges of his muscles seemed to beckon to me; to my eyes.  
He sat on the couch, naked, resting his elbows on his knees.  
His fingers were laced together, covering his lips.  
After peering at him from over my shoulder I grabbed my yukata, quickly pulling it over myself.  
Gintoki didn't speak, and I grabbed his clothes.  
Walking to his side, I placed them on the coffee table in front of him.  
"You can go ahead and leave now."

He sighed loudly, and peered up at me.  
"So you're just gonna kick me out when you're done with me?"  
Slightly confused, I frowned down at the man.  
"This is what you want. Your freedom, like you said.  
I'm just making it easier for you. But I also assure you that this won't happen again...  
This was... A mistake. We were drunk, and-"

"You wanted to didn't you?" He cut me off, and I shifted my gaze.  
"Well- At the time it seemed like a good idea, but-"  
"No, that's not an answer. It's a yes or no question."

My gaze softened, and guilt crept over me.  
I stared at the wooden floor of the hallway.  
"Look, I'm going to bed. It's too early for this sort of thing..."  
As soon as I turned away, he was behind me.  
"You have a new bed?"  
I nodded and he grabbed my sleeve.  
"I'm still tired... I'll stay with you a little longer."

The offer sounded tempting, but at the same time irritated me.  
It seemed at if he was rubbing salt in an old wound that hadn't quite healed.  
"No. It's fine."  
Though I started to walk away, he tugged me back.  
"It's not like it's a big deal or anything. But like I said I want to sleep longer."  
He sounded annoyed, and I couldn't held but feel like he was trying to make me feel grateful; like he was doing me a favor.

"I don't want your pity, or even your help." I spat the words at him, scowling.  
"Besides, you aren't welcome in my new bed. You had the old one, but this one is mine.  
I'd rather not have memories in it. Might burn that couch now too."

"Not welcome? Well, I wouldn't want to lay in your stupid bed anyway.  
It's probably got a lumpy mattress, and scratchy sheets!" Now he had crossed the line.  
My sheets were amazing. I couldn't let him bad mouth them.

"Take that back!" Turning to face him, I was disappointing that I couldn't think of a witty come back like;  
You wouldn't know a good bed and sheets if they fell on your head like an Acme anvil,  
or your sheets are probably ratty and torn from all of the women that use them,  
but that last one probably wouldn't be an insult to somebody like him.  
Now it was too late. Too late to use a come back. Or was it?  
"You don't know anything about good sheets! As cheap as you are! You wouldn't even buy the expensive strawberry milk! I had to buy it!"

His jaw dropped, and he scowled at me.  
"I buy the best strawberry milk! The best tasting one! Price has no effect on the taste!"  
He shook his fist as he yelled and I crossed my arms.

"Oh really? The best strawberry milk? The one hundred yen carton is the best?"  
His anger was apparent and he clenched his teeth.  
"Damn it, you're so fucking annoying!"  
I waited for him to say something, anything else.  
To continue our fight, and storm out of the apartment.

That's what I had been aiming for the whole time.  
To make him leave as he had before.  
That would be the best proof that he had no feelings for me.  
Much to my surprise he wrapped his arms around me, and pressed his lips to mine.  
When he pulled back he peered down at me, a slight frown creasing his eyebrows.  
"I know what you're doing. You're just trying to piss me off. I'm not gonna let you win."

I averted my gaze, and started to push away from him.  
He wouldn't release me and my chest ached in protest.  
Maybe it was the wound, maybe it was my heart, maybe my heart had been affected by the wound, but I wasn't sure.

"Stop toying with me Gin, let go..."  
For some reason he actually listened, and I stepped back.  
"Don't get the wrong idea about us."  
Using his own line on him felt amazing.  
Words could not describe the euphoria that had stemmed from twisting that simple statement and directing it at him.

He sighed loudly, and nodded.  
"Alright, alright. I deserved that, what else? I'm sure you'd love to add more to that."  
I shook my head and turned away.  
"Nope. Just want to go to bed. lock the door on the way out again."  
He didn't reply, but before I made it far he was scooping me up.  
Startled, I flailed my arms around; trying to escape.  
"Not welcome in your new bed. You gotta be shitting me. I bet it's really comfy, and you just don't want me to know! Selfish!"

He started running towards my bedroom.  
"Put me down! Don't go in there! Go home!" I struggled in his arms, but he refused to release me.  
When he reached my room he paused.  
"That does look comfy too. See? I know you better then you think."  
I peered up at him, and he tossed me into the covers.  
After landing, I pushed myself up to face him, ignoring the jolt of pain that had shot in my shoulder.  
"Stay away! It's mine!"  
I held my arms out as a sort of makeshift barrier, trying to force the meanest scowl possible, but he laughed at me.  
"You look constipated!"

Shifting his attention, he studied my room and I huffed in frustration after his comment.  
"You went shopping? What did you get? Anything for me?"  
Without warning Gintoki walked to my bags and started rummaging through them.  
The thought of him seeing the "lacy unmentionables" that Tsu had thrown at me was compelling enough for me to rush to his side.  
That and the thing that I actually _did_ buy with him in mind.  
"Stop being nosy!" Quickly crawling off of the bed, I grabbed his arm and started pulling at the man.  
He ignored me for the most part, and held up a pair of lingerie.  
"Why didn't you wear these last night?" He asked, and I rolled my eyes.  
"I had no intention of sleeping with you last night! You probably don't even remember what I was wearing!"  
He turned his attention to me, and inched dangerously close to my lips.

"The process isn't important. What matters is the end result..."  
Heat radiated off of his skin, and the thought of him kissing me was enough to convince me to move.  
Backing away from him, I bit my lip. He followed after me, and quickly pecked my lips.  
Wrapping an arm around my waist he pulled my into the covers; forcing me to lay beside him.  
I wanted to claw my way out, and reached for the edge of the bed.  
"Nooo, it's forbidden! You can't be here!"  
A hand clamped over my mouth, and I was pulled against his body.  
"Shhh, I'll make it worth you while. We'll have a nice, rough, heart pounding... Session of..."  
My heart pounded against my chest, as if there wasn't enough space, when I felt the warmth of his breath on my neck.  
The sensation sent a chill down my spine, and I froze in place.  
"Sleep..." He breathed the word, and I turned to peer at him over my shoulder, squinting at the man.  
He started to chuckle, and his hand slipped down to my thigh; still only holding me.  
I felt his lips against my neck, and could only think of how confused I was.


	72. Awkward Confessions

Knowing what to think in this sort of situation was difficult.  
I had made it clear that he could leave like before, but he practically refused.  
Instead of repeating his actions, he had done the exact opposite; somehow managing to get into my bed.  
"You've already gotten what you came for... When you get up, leave."  
My voice was low, and I couldn't help but sound a bit cruel.  
I leaned up as I spoke, reaching for my cigarettes.  
The square pack was laying on a tiny round nightstand.  
It was one of the first things I had bought for the apartment.  
I expect Gintoki to flee the moment he awoke.  
Telling him to leave again may have sounded cold, but I couldn't help it; he had made me think this way.  
Sighing loudly, Gintoki released me.  
"Cut it out."

I peered over my shoulder at him, finding that he had rolled onto his back.  
One of his arms was still underneath me, and I tried my best not to stare.  
"You're not getting rid of me so easily..."  
The words were a barely audible, and after lighting the cigarette I turned to face him.  
He had propped his arm behind his head, and was staring at the ceiling.  
His words slightly surprised me, and I gazed at him longingly.  
_'If only he was truly mine...'_

"Calm down, what are you thinking over there?" Gin's voice interrupted my thought process, and I shifted my gaze.  
"I- Nothing..." Befuddlement had completely taken me, and I set my sights on him again, taking a long drag of my smoke.  
I silently studied the oddly soft expression he wore. Leaning back up, he wrapped his free arm around me.  
"Are you having a heart attack or something? It can't be healthy for it to be going this fast..."  
Using his arm which was laced underneath me, he reached towards my heart.  
"I can feel it through your side..."

A flush threatened to take my cheeks, and I averted my gaze.  
"No, I just- It's- Thats normal..." My excuse was lame, but I couldn't think of anything better to say.  
It was obvious that he wouldn't believe that I would actually have such an erratic heart beat twenty four hours of the day,  
but still... It was the best thing I could think to say.  
I earned a light chuckle from Gintoki, and he pulled me against himself even tighter.

"Is it because you hate me..?" He murmured the words into my ear, and proceeded to kiss my neck.  
I felt a twinge of excitement, and bit down on my lower lip.  
_'What is this man doing to me? Why is it so easy for him to-? I just don't understand...'_

I managed to stutter some awkward reply, like "Yeah, I'm planning how to kill you right now".  
It didn't fit the situation. At all. In any way shape or form. I turned my back to him stubbing out the smoke.  
Luckily for me he didn't believe a word of what I had said.  
I received another low chuckle, and he placed a hand on my shoulder lightly pulling me.  
The man forced me on my back, and leaned over me.  
Gintoki's gaze settled on my eyes, and for a second my mind blanked.  
the air in the room seemed to grow thick, and I could feel my face slightly twist into a frown. A very confused, and startled frown.  
He held a contemplative expression; looking as though he wasn't sure of what to say,

"But really... How do you... Um..." Falling silent, he shifted his gaze from mine and sighed deeply.  
"Well... What I'm trying to say..."  
Gintoki appeared to be having a hard time voicing what was on his mind.  
I was already feeling uncomfortable, and also looked away.  
For some reason I stayed in place, not shying fro his touch, or attempting to escape.  
My body had fallen into an oddly relaxed state, despite my mind, or heart which was trying to explode as he spoke.  
I could hear my own pulse, and it was not a comforting sound.  
"You feel... Erm... I'm not used to this sort of thing... But..."  
What was supposed to be one question seemed to drag on,  
and while he didn't sound like an asshole at this very moment, I was unsure of what to expect.  
"Like how you feel... About- You know..." A slight frown creased his brow, and I peered up at him.  
"About... You?" I asked. He sharply inhaled, and leaned away from me.  
Without offering a response he rolled onto his side, offering me his back to talk to.

The moment he moved away from me I felt as though I could breath again.  
Closing my eyes, I tried to be-still my frantic heart, or at least slow it down enough to hear myself think.  
A few second passed, and I turned to peer at Gintoki.  
'Why is he acting like this? Just what exactly was he trying to say?'

I stared at the the firm ridges of his back, slowly, moving to my side; facing the man.  
Leaning up on my elbow, I lightly placed a hand on his back.  
He didn't move or make a sound, just stared at the far wall.  
"Gin?"  
He didn't respond, and I decided to take a risk.  
It wasn't my style; to be so direct, but taking a deep breath, I leaned into him, slowly sliding my hand under his arm, and around his torso.  
His skin was warm to the touch, and a momentary ray of light illuminated his white hair, as I moved to his side.

He slightly tensed when I placed my lips against his neck.  
Affection had never been a part of my vocabulary.  
Let alone to give such a thing, but I kissed him as softly as possible.  
All I could do was hope that I was right.  
It's common knowledge that assumptions can be a dangerous thing to make, kind of like homemade bombs.

He still hadn't spoken, just released a sigh into the air surrounding us.  
"Don't take this the wrong way... I umm... I get what you were trying to say..."  
He peered at me over his shoulder, and I shifted my gaze.  
"Well... You know how you are about strawberry milk?" The question may have seemed random, and he frowned at me.  
"Yeah..."

"Well... I hate you like that..." The moment the words slipped from my lips I felt stupid.  
I hadn't turned to look at him, instead I chose to study the plain white walls around us.  
Nobody spoke, and it felt as though tension would suffocate me.  
The weight shifted beside me, and his hand fell onto the covers over my lap.  
"Like strawberry milk, huh?"  
I nodded, and felt my cheeks burn.

He hadn't spoken for a few minutes now, and I wondered if I had messed up.  
I glanced at him, surprised to find him leaning up facing me.  
But he was staring at the covers.  
He appeared to be blushing, but I told myself I was just imagining things.

"Never mind... Like I said don't take it the wrong way... It was... Uh..." I shifted my gaze trying to think of an excuse.  
"A joke... Yeah, I made a joke..." Forcing an awkward laugh I laid back down, turning my back to the man.  
_'What's wrong with me? I should be doing something not... What ever this is... I just... This is stupid. Why would I say that?'_

Moment passed and I closed my eyes hoping to drift off.  
The sheets were amazing, but somehow even they couldn't dispel the uncomfortable air of the room.  
An unexpected hand caused me to jump, and soon Gintoki was sliding beside me.  
His lips grazed the skin of my neck, and I felt my heart rate increase. He sighed loudly, and brought his lips to my ear.  
"Are you ready for that sleep?"


	73. Life Never Pauses

Some how, sleep had managed to take me.  
A calm deep slumber washed over me, like the waves of an ocean; pulling me deeper.  
Sucked into the undertow of dreams I allowed myself to be taken, offering little resistance.

Hours had passed by the time I woke up.  
Gintoki remained asleep beside me, and I pulled myself from his arms.  
The man stirred slightly and I gazed down at him, not daring to move until I was sure he was still asleep.  
When he let out a deep sigh, I climbed out of the bed, and made my way to the bathroom.  
Once inside I re-wrapped my shoulder and chest.  
After finishing I walked back into the room, and stared at him.

Shaking my head at the question that sipped into my mind I knelt down beside my closet door.  
In one of my shopping bags I pushed aside a bit of frilly orange paper, and grabbed one of the small katana necklaces.  
_'Makes you closer, huh?'_

I peered at the silver chain, and the intricate detail of the small handle on the sword.  
The cool metal grew warm in my hand and I moved back into the bed.  
A short moment of contemplation passed, and I peered out of the window over my bed.  
Through the sheer curtain, I could see dark clouds looming over head.  
The sky threatened to break open at any second and I returned my sight to the man beside me.

Gently draping the necklace around him, I clasped the small chain to itself, and turned away.  
_'it's easier to give it to him like this...'_

A loud rumble of thunder interrupted my thoughts, and I glanced at the window again.  
_'I should go out. Before he wakes up. Maybe to the store to pick up some more medical wrap...'_

* * *

When I walked into the pharmacy the first thing I did was grab a few rolls of gauze.  
They had a small refrigerated section that had strawberry milk, and after a moment of contemplation I decided to grab a carton.  
It was a typical morning, except now that I had a phone, I needed to rewrite the applications that I had once filed.

As I exited the store and slipped onto the crowded sidewalk, and hand slipped around my wrist, tightly grasping me.  
My first instinct was to unsheathe my sword, I clasped the handle tightly, but the hand was over my fighting hand.  
Upon hearing the voice I restrained myself.  
"Oi... Don't move... Rein, I have a job for you..."  
It was Kawakami, and I turned to face him, scowling.

"Don't make that face. You'll get wrinkles, I dare say..." He smirked down at me, still not my releasing my wrist.  
"And just what makes you think you can approach me without getting killed?" I spat the words, and he snickered at me  
"Didn't you get hurt on your last job? Took down Shinsuke's followers?"  
He held a cool tone in his voice, and I glared at him; refusing to avert my gaze.  
"Let me do the talking... There is a certain group in the forest. They took our hide out.  
Normally we would call in another mercenary, or use some of our Amanto...  
But you did a good amount of damage last time we spoke...  
So- Shinsuke needs you to do this.  
If you do, he says you can have Chizuru. She's become quite troublesome...  
Or whatever you desire, be it money, or even immunity. From us that is."

He spoke with an acidulous tone, and I assumed he was staring right at me.  
_'I do need a job... And it's not like those businesses are calling me...'_  
It took a moment for me to agree, and I did so hesitantly, but when I did he nodded.  
"Meet me tonight. Midnight in the abandoned tunnel. No weapons.  
Don't bring anybody, and I'll do the same. As for the previous feud we had; it's been halted for the time being."  
After offering me a slight smirk, Kawakami started away.  
I stood in place for a moment, contemplating my decision.

* * *

_'I need to get extra weapons...'_  
Instead of going home I decided to head to a certain hide out.  
One of which I had only been to a few times before, but was confident that I could find what I needed there.  
I was in search of a certain man that I knew could help me.  
He was the leader of the Joui, if anybody could assist me in restocking my supply of weapons it was him.  
As soon as I came across the building that looked right, I walked into the ally, and scaled the wall.  
It was the entrance Katsura had shown me the first time I had come with him.  
The only reason he allowed me inside was because I had helped him and Elizabeth secure a rather large shipment  
of explosives at the recommendation of a Joui member.

When I reached the roof I walked across the metal paneling and to a window.  
Not surprisingly all of the Joui were gathered, listening to Katsura give some sort of speech.  
Choosing not to interrupt them I sat on the roof staring at the sky.  
A distant crack of thunder sounded, and I took a deep breath of the moist air surrounding me.  
The sky was grey, and quickly darkening.  
I waited for over an hour contemplating the upcoming mission.  
It wasn't until a sign was thrust into my peripherals that I realized Katsura's talk had been over.  
"Rein, what are you doing here?" Elizabeth was standing on the other side of the window, and I turned to face her. Him. It.

"I need to speak to Katsura. I have a small favor to ask."  
After nodding Elizabeth held up a sign, stating that I should come in before it started to rain.  
I obliged and the moment I stepped into the the room it fell silent.  
All eyes were on me, and I glanced over all the men with a raised eyebrow.  
Katsura was turned around, digging through a small box.  
Elizabeth held up multiple signs, each with his name written larger then the rest.  
When the man didn't turn around "she" grew angry, and chucked the sign at him.

The man was struck in the back, and he fell forward, grunting in surprise.  
"What the hell..?" Standing up, Katsura placed a hand to his head.  
When he finally turned around he gazed at me, and Elizabeth.  
An immediate frown creased his brow, and he calmly walked over to us.  
"You told her to do that didn't you? Instilling impure thoughts into the minds of others, have you no shame?"

I frowned in confusion, shaking my head.  
"No, she thought of it on her own. I had nothing to do with such a decision..."

He gazed at Elizabeth who held up a sign reading "It's true".  
Katsura chuckled slightly, and shifted his attention to me.  
"You don't have to cover for her Elizabeth, I understand. The pride of a samurai takes control in these sorts of situation.  
Betraying a friend is out of the question. Okay, I'll go along. What brings you here Rein?"

Still frowning I shifted my gaze between the men watching us, Elizabeth and Katsura.  
"Well, recently I've found myself in need of some new wares. Something along the lines of daggers, stars maybe.  
I would appreciate if you were to assist me in acquiring such items.  
Understand that I am willing to pay." I nodded my head in a sort of half assed bow.  
Bowing was not my thing, unless I had a frequent employer who paid well.

He nodded thoughtfully.  
"Well... I think we could spare a few things... Come with me."

* * *

Katsura had sold me a multitude of daggers, brass knuckles, and throwing stars.  
When he said a few things I was expecting maybe one or two small knives.  
But apparently a few meant an entire room of unused equipment.  
He even talked me into buying a few bombs, though I could never imagine what I would need them for.  
I figured it was better to have and not need.  
He had packed everything neatly inside of a cheap briefcase, and we parted ways.  
After doing business with the man I started towards my apartment.

I came across a small cardboard box on the side of the road.  
Inside of it was a calico kitten, just big enough to fit in the palm of my hand.  
Small drops of rain splattered the ground, and the box was completely soaked and growing soggy.  
I stared at the tiny creature, wondering what I should do.  
_'I don't have an umbrella...'  
_There was no way to shield the cat from the rain, and thinking quickly I decided to take it home.  
_'Just for one night... Then I'll bring it back...'_

Kneeling down I grabbed the cat, and started to throw it in my plastic shopping bag.  
But, it became apparent that it's claws would shred the thin material.  
_'How annoying...'_  
Sighing loudly, I tucked it into my arm, and continued towards my apartment.

* * *

**A/N: Hi everybody! I'm sorry I've taken a while to update! I wrote the chapters, and just wasn't satisfied... Sooo- I went back and edited everything.**  
**It's much better now! *Takes a long content drag from cigarette.* Haha! The story thought it would get me, but nooo- Dominated! Hah! Take that, Microsoft Word! (You've got to excuse me, I've stayed awake longer then any sane human should ever dare.)**  
**I'm surprised that I'm even making words right now! Time to crash- Sleep mode activated!**  
**Wait wait, before I hibernate- I really appreciate your comments! Though I haven't been able to respond to many of them, I still want to say thank you!**  
***Bows* Arigato gozimasu! (Or Gozaimashita if you want that perfect politeness.) **  
**Okay- NOW Sleep mode activate! :)**


	74. Life Never Pauses Pt2

On the way home an odd song started playing.  
I gazed around the streets curiously; checking behind myself, the kitten, the briefcase, and across the street.  
The people walking by were all looking at me and it took a moment to realize that it was my phone.  
I pulled it out of my wrist pouch and stared at the screen before answering.  
"Moshi moshi?"  
"Rein-Chan! I tried to call you earlier! You didn't answer! - Rancid metal strings."  
Obviously, it was Tsu.

I continued walking, and a bolt of lightening flashed in the distance, followed by a roar of thunder.  
"Yeah, sorry. I've been busy..." I didn't want to get too far into details, but it was likely that she already knew.  
"It was crazy last night! When I left, I could barely even get off of the stage! Everybody was rampaging around the bar! - Twisty penguin penis."

The sky broke open, and rain started to pour to the ground in spurts of various intensities.  
I did my best to shield the cat, which had dug it's nails into my arm.  
Swearing under my breath I continued talking to Tsu.

"Maybe because you started a riot? You _were_ screaming the lyrics at them you know.  
Not singing, literally _screaming._ And then you pumped your fist in the air, shouting '_Let's have a war!_'.  
Did you not expect a _real_ war to start? Especially with all of those drunk men..."  
She chuckled on the other side of the line, and I started up the stairs of my apartment.  
The roof of the building shielded me from the large drops of rain that seemed as though they would never end.

"And then you pointed out some fat otaku and told everybody to attack him...  
That man was really scared... Especially when one of the biker guys hit him with a chair, but- I left right after that..."  
Fumbling with the bags, and the cat, I managed to pull my key out and work it into the door.  
"Oh... Well he jumped on the stage! I didn't have any security with me. - Gooey paper bookcase.  
Anyway you and Gintoki, what happened there? You were supposed to kick his ass, not start snatching his clothes off!- Bloody candy razors!"

Closing the door behind myself, I sighed.  
"Well, if you hadn't told me to go talk to him this wouldn't have happened!"  
I set the kitten down, and placed the two small bags, and briefcase on the table.  
"Oi, where'd you go?" Gintoki was coming down the hallway, approaching me.  
He was naked, and my eyes widened.  
"You can't blame sleeping with him on me! I didn't know that there was so much sexual ten-"  
"Tsu, I have to go.. Umm... Something just came up-"  
"Is he there now? He's still there?! How long did you two-"  
I hung up on the girl before she could ask, and leaned against the wooden table.  
"You have a phone now?" Gintoki didn't stop until there was almost no space left between us.  
"Uh, yeah. Why are you still here?" It was obvious that I expected him to be, as I had bought the strawberry milk.  
But for some reason I couldn't get used to the sight of him walking around like this.  
Excitement seemed to surge inside of me, and I couldn't pry my eyes away from his abs.  
"Don't ask stupid questions, pervert." He ran a hand through his hair, and I peered up at him.  
"Pervert? I'm not-"  
"What were you just looking at?" The question stumped me, and I stared into his eyes.  
He wore a cool expression, one which could even be mistaken for boredom.  
"Nothing..." I responded. Instead of trying to find an excuse, I pointed to the bag.

"When you go, take that with you."  
"Huh?" He shifted his attention to the bag and started excitedly rustling through it.  
"What's this briefcase?"  
I placed a hand over the smooth leather, shifting my gaze.  
"It's... Well, It was a gift... I- Have somewhere to go tonight.  
Placing his milk on the table, Gintoki grabbed the briefcase.  
I tightened my grip around it as well.  
He stared at me, a confused frown slipping across his face.  
"What's inside of it..?"

I gazed up at the man, and was met with an expectant stare.  
"Well... It's..."  
Sighing loudly I scowled.  
"None of your damn business!" Knowing I couldn't snatch it, due to the explosives, I pried his hand from the handle.  
Gintoki squinted his eyes, scowling worse then I was.

Without offering any explanation I started away, only to stop when a tiny mew came from behind me.  
"What the- When did you get this squeaky thing? It looks like a real cat..." Gintoki stared at the kitten still squinting.  
"It _is _a real cat, dumb ass!"  
I flashed him an annoyed expression and redirected myself to the kitchen.  
"It must be hungry... What do these things eat, Gin?"

The man followed behind me, pushing the corner of his milk open.  
"I don't know, something like meat and rice or something. Here, give it some of this..."  
Grabbing a small bowl from the counter he started pouring some of his milk in it.

"Wait, can it have strawberry milk? Is that okay?" Slightly startled I followed behind him.  
He laid the bowl on the ground and the kitten walked up to it.  
"Of course! The extra calcium is good for it!"  
He extended the carton towards me, grinning, and pointing to a small bubble that read "Exxxtra Calcium For Healthy Bone Development!".

Since I wasn't too sure about cats, I nodded, just happy that he knew what he was talking about.  
I pulled a bit of left over meat from the fridge and laid it on a tiny saucer for the kitten.  
Days like this made me tired.  
I loved the rain, and the grey shadow the clouds would cast over the world, but at the same time I couldn't help but feel drowsy.  
Gintoki took a few gulps of his milk before putting it the refrigerator.  
The kitten started to lap up the milk as well, and I started towards the room.  
"Hmm? What's this?"

Gintoki spoke behind me, and I turned to face him.  
He was holding the necklace, I had laced around him in one hand. The man stared at it curiously, and I shifted my gaze.  
"How should I know? You're the one wearing it! Maybe you bought it when you were drunk or something..."  
I started away but when I reached the hallway he continued.  
"I wouldn't buy something so stupid! Why the hell would I want this ugly thing?"  
He spoke in an annoying tone, completely denying my gift, and I froze in place.  
Peering at the man over my shoulder, I shot him an irritated expression.  
"Wh- Then- Just throw it away!"  
Unable to conceal my embarrassment I tightened my grasp on the handle of the briefcase, and he flashed me a confused look.

He started towards me, and I glared at him.  
"Where did this come from?" He held the necklace up, and I shrugged.  
"Why are you asking me?"  
"I wasn't wearing it this morning. The only way it could have gotten on me was if you did it." He was still staring at me, and I shrugged again.  
"I don't care about your fashion choices." I gave him another icy glare,and he started to laugh.  
"Stop making those bedroom eyes! Trying to entice me!" His statement only managed to further annoy me, but then again he was right.  
Most times, our fights got pretty heated. And not in a fighting sort of way.

"Shut up..." I grumbled the words and started away.  
Suddenly grabbed, I was pulled back against him and he smirked down at me.  
"Admit it, you put it on me didn't you?"  
Shifting my gaze, I sighed loudly. The only way I could think to suppress my nervousness was to clench my fists.

"I guess I'll just have to force it out of you..."  
The words excited me, and I bit my lip slightly.  
"Force? How so?" It seemed obvious, but I couldn't help but ask.  
His hands snaked around me, and soon my sword was dropping to the floor.  
Stepping back I shook my head.  
"Fuck you, you can't just start tugging my clo-"  
"I fully intend to fuck you." His voice was low, and some how managed to stun me.  
I hadn't expected such a response especially in such a tone. Though he sounded mean, for some reason it turned me on.

* * *

**A/N: I know, I know. What a horrible cliff hanger! How could I leave it at this?! How dare I?!**  
***Baka slaps self* I will update again today. It's coming. But for now, like the previous chapter stated- Hibernation time!**


	75. Fun with Intentions

It took all I had not to pounce on him, and it was probably apparent when I bit my lower lip.  
He started to snicker at my reaction.  
"What's with that face?" He tugged me back against himself, and I attempted to convince myself not to let him trick me.

"Gintoki... We really shouldn't... You know- Like you said before. If we keep on-"  
I was cut off, by his lips, and he started to push me back towards my room.  
"We- Could- Cause... Misunder-" Though I tried to continue with my reasoning process, it proved difficult.  
The entire time I tried to back away from him, but it only aided him in get me to the bed faster.  
He snatched my yukata open, and pushed it from my shoulders.  
When the robe caught on the briefcase, he peered down at it.  
"Erm, are you gonna let that thing go? Why are you holding on to it like that? Just drop it."  
I glanced at the dark leather, and softly placed it on the ground.  
"Why are you being so careful with it? What's in there? Is it glass or something?"  
He sounded completely confused, and I shook my head. Before he could ask any more questions I stole his lips.  
He seemed to forget about the briefcase, and eagerly returned the kiss; wrapping his arms around my waist.  
Unable to contain myself, I melted under his touch finding myself pulling him with me.  
When we reached the room Gintoki pushed me back onto the bed, and I peered up at the man, wrapping my hand around him.  
He moaned - ever so slightly, and I took him into my mouth.  
A salty taste danced onto my tongue as I used it to lightly tease him.  
The man grunted as I gave him a hard suck, and his hand laced through my hair, pushing deeper and forcing me to move faster.  
Minutes passed, and he pulled away from me, gasping.  
"Stop, or it'll be over before it starts..."  
Without giving me time to respond he pushed me back.  
The man grabbed my leg, pulling me against himself, only furthering my excitement.  
He did not waste time, and immediately, pushed into me.  
A sharp cry forced its way out of my lungs, and I clenched the covers beneath me.

All control begin to slip from my body as he started to pump into me.  
I traced my nails lightly down his chest and abs, which caused him to pull me into a heated kiss.  
He deeply thrust into me, forcing me to cry out and dig my nails into his shoulder.  
Breaking his lips from mine, he moved to my neck, which seemed to be a weak spot for me.  
He must have noticed, as my moans became audibly louder when he bit down.  
I groaned with each hard thrust, his name a constant plea on my lips as he moved over me.

Gintoki slid one of his hands to my waist, using the other to hold himself up.  
Our eyes met, and I turned away. Despite the movement, I couldn't break my gaze from his.  
Sliding one of my arms around his torso I leaned up, running my tongue over his chest and nipple.  
I was rewarded with a groan and small pant which followed.  
His hands fell away from my hips and moved out over my body.  
He rammed into me, and shoved me back. A loud pant slipped past my lips, and my back arched involuntarily.  
He slid one hand up to cup my breast, squeezing it almost painfully.  
He then brought his lips to my nipple, using the arch in my back to his advantage.

My hand slipped over the firm ridges that were his muscles, and I dragged my nails over his skin.  
Lacing my fingers through his hair, I pulled him closer.  
His teeth tightened around me, and I moaned loudly.  
Using his hair I pulling his lips back to mine, and they greeted me with a rough passionate kiss.  
His hand released me, and moved to my wrist.  
He grabbed both of my hands, forcing them above my head, and pinning them in place.  
Being dominated in such a way was new to me, but exciting nonetheless.

When he worked one of his hands around both of my wrists he used the other to slide between our moving bodies and tease my sensitive flesh.  
His fingers found the small nub which was my clit, and he started to stroke me to my peak.  
When my muscles started to contract around him, he shifted his gaze, lightly biting down on his lower lip.  
The waves of white hot pleasure washed over me, and his name parted my lips.  
My cries were soon muffled by his mouth, as he started moving against me harder then before.  
The man released my wrists, and I immediately wrapped my arms around his shoulders, pulling him tightly against myself.  
My hips bucked to meet his and ground slowly against him. Drawing my legs around his waist I softly bit down on his lip.

Groaning loudly Gintoki pulled away from me, moving to my neck again.  
His tongue trailed over my skin, stopping just below my ear.  
His moans grew louder, and his hands moved to my hips.  
He slammed into me, his voice on the edge of a growl, until he pushed deeper then he had dared to venture previously.  
The man froze over me, and I felt him release in warm waves of satisfaction.

I moaned with him, pulling him against myself. He laid on top of me panting.  
Sweat glistened on his skin, and he tucked his head under my chin.  
We laid there unmoving, and speechless for a few minutes before he started to pull out of me.

Gintoki picked himself up, and I leaned up with him.  
"Do you admit it now? I know you gave it to me."  
I had completely forgotten about the necklace.  
Scooting back and towards the head of my bed I sighed.  
"No..."  
He shook his head.  
"So stubborn..."

After a moment of contemplation I decided to admit to it.  
Even the thought of saying I had gotten it for him was embarrassing, but I sucked it up.  
"Fine... I did it... But, don't read to far into it. I just thought that you may like it. I got one for myself to..."  
A guilty expression pushed its way onto my face and he chuckled.  
"Thanks... I like it."

Exhaustion had crept over me, and my breathing had just started to regulate as I pulled the covers around myself.  
"But if that was some form of torture, specially designed to make me admit things, you're welcome to force information out of me any time you want."  
I offered a slight smirk, and he let out a breathless laughed.  
"I'll keep that in mind."  
The moment the words escaped his lips an explosion of thunder sounded.  
The walls seemed to shake, and rain began to pour from the sky once again.  
Turning to peer out of the window I observed the dark sky.  
I didn't offer an explanation just raised myself up to open the window.  
Gintoki raised an eyebrow at me and a small smile teased the corner of my lips.  
"I love the smell of fresh rain."  
He nodded slowly, and I laid back down nuzzling into his neck.  
A tiny 'meep' from beside the bed broke my concentration from the man beside me.  
I leaned up and glanced around the room, oddly. A moment passed, and when the sound echoed the source of the squeak dawned on me.  
Peering over the edge of the mattress I found the kitten staring up at me expectantly.  
It was sort of cute, though I wouldn't admit it. Reaching down I pulled the tiny cat up into the bed.  
I replaced myself in my previous position, and the kitten joined me on Gintoki's chest.  
_'Warmth must attract cats too...'_

He wrapped an arm around me, and I decided to voice my doubt in him once again.  
"When you want to leave, don't worry about me, just go ahead. I know I'm not exactly important, so feel free to just walk out."  
I raised a hand to the kitten, gently scratching it's head.  
Gintoki's response made my heart skip a beat, but I would never tell.

"You're more important then what you think..."


	76. Rude Awakening

A loud smash, caused both Gintoki and me to nearly jump out of bed.  
It was not the thunder; thunder didn't talk.  
We stared at each other in horror as the voices approached us.  
"I wonder if she's here?" It was definitely Shinpachi  
"Shut up glasses! Of course she's here! Mayora-San said she was still resting!"  
"Kagura-Chan! Wait, what about her front door!? We can't just let somebody else in!" Shinpachi was right, but Kagura wasn't listening.  
"No, I'm quite interested to see exactly who this Eyebrow-San is." A woman's voice came next.  
I didn't recognize the voice at all, and frowned at Gintoki.  
He seemed to be frozen in place, and Kagura walked through the already open door.

The moment I saw the girl I pulled the cover over my chest.  
I stared at her wide eyed, and assumed Gintoki did the same.  
At first the girl was staring at us with a blank expression.  
It seemed to take a moment for this sort of image to click.  
Her eyes widened and her hands raised up as if to touch her face. But they didn't.  
They remained beside her head, and she started screaming.  
"GLASSES! TSUKUYO! THEY'RE- THEY'RE-"  
She didn't finished the sentence, Shinpachi walked in behind her followed by a blonde woman, who was holding a tobacco pipe.  
"What is it Kagura-Cha-" The boy froze mid-stride, and gazed at us, a frown creasing his brow.  
His eyes soon widened, and he raised his hands to his cheeks as if to shield himself from the horror of the scene.  
The woman froze in place, dropping her pipe. She just stared at us, Unmoving.  
"DID THEY SLEEP TOGETHER?! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?! DON'T LOOK! DON'T LOOK KAGURA-CHAN!"  
Shinpachi was the first to speak, and he turned to Kagura.

The boy grabbed the Yato who had started crying for some unknown reason.  
"Glasses... Is Eyebrow-San one of _those_ women? The kind who let men do those things to them for money? She doesn't have to do that to herself..."  
The girl sobbed the words, turning away with Shinpachi.  
"Now now Kagura-Chan- It's okay. Gin-San is to cheap to pay a woman for something like that."  
He patted the girls back ushering her away, but not after shooting us another bewildered expression.

Finally seeming to regain his voice Gintoki started to yell.  
"OI! Kids shouldn't barge into adult's houses! You were practically begging to see something like this! Get back here!"  
Gin grabbed one of the sheets, and I peered up at him. The woman hadn't left the door way. She continued to stare at us, slack-jawed.  
"What?" Gintoki growled the word, obviously agitated.  
The woman shifted her gaze, her cheeks flushing a bright shade of pink.  
"I- Well, I- Had a job for you and..." She glanced back at me, and sighed deeply.  
"You dog!" Snatching her pipe off of the floor she chucked it at the man.  
I moved out of the way, and he leaned in the opposite direction, dodging the airborne object

"Oi! What the-"  
"Do _not_ throw shit in my apartment!" Interrupting Gintoki, I firmly stated my command.  
They both peered at me and the woman scowled. She returned her attention to Gintoki.

"It's not my business if you spend your time with random harlots, but I would recommend you come to Yoshiwara for such affairs.  
The prices are good, and the women are clean... Though if she is looking for more permanent employment, I could assist her in relocating..."  
She glared at us, and Gintoki scowled.  
_I_ also scowled. _deeply_.  
"Excuse me?! I am no such thing!" Standing up I pulled a sheet with me, covering myself.  
Kagura could still be heard crying in the background and Gintoki started towards the door.  
When he reached the woman's side, he stopped.  
"Tsukuyo, this woman is not some random lay... She's my girlfriend, I was her first..."  
Tsukuyo sharply inhaled upon hearing the words.  
She peered up at me, and I started towards my closet, glaring at the woman.  
I was too angry to even acknowledge the fact that he had called me his girlfriend It was like I hadn't even heard it.

"The Yorozura is the place for jobs... Not here." When Gintoki finished his statement, he passed her.  
"Oi, brat! Why the hell are you crying?!"  
"You scared her, Gin-San! It's not natural!" Shinpachi yelled back to him.  
"Not natural?! What are you talking about?! I'm a man! I have needs!"  
"But it's not natural!" Kagura sobbed in reply.

Tuning the three out I peered at Tsukuyo from the corner of my eye.  
She had remained in place; not even bothering to pick her pipe up.  
I pulled a Yukata over myself, and turned to face her.  
"To come into another woman's apartment, and insult her... How daring."  
She glanced at me as I spoke, and scoffed.  
"To sleep with a man who has no true dedication to you... How pathetic."  
We glared at each other, neither of us willing to be the first to look away.

"And how would you know of such thing? Dedication so to speak... I've heard of Yoshiwara.  
You must be the woman who protects the harlots. Real harlots, that is. Harlots that actually have sex for money.  
As far as I'm concerned harlots don't actually sleep with their customers."  
I spoke in a surprisingly calm tone, and it seemed as if I had struck a chord.

"I do protect those women. And not a single one of them is a harlot.  
They do what they must to survive. There is nothing shameful about that.  
You must be the eyebrow woman. The murderer.  
As far as I'm concerned murderers are lower then women who make honest livings."  
Tsukuyo spoke in a low tone as well. It felt as though a battle would begin, and I sighed loudly.

"So doing what is necessary to survive is not honest?  
Ridding the word of evil men is not as honorable as letting men have their way with you for money? I see..."  
We seemed to migrate towards one another, both preparing to attack.

"I suppose it is... But I do none of the sort. Gintoki deserves better.  
Then you that is. I will see to it; that he chooses a more compatible, and significant person.  
One who deserves him. With a silver soul as pure as his."  
Her words almost stunned me. She was after him herself.  
It should have been obvious, but I hadn't expected such a bold statement.

"And you consider yourself worthy? My, how foolish." I glared at her, and she returned my look.

The woman started across the room, and retrieved her pipe.  
"I could say the same to you."

I scoffed at her statement and started out of the room.  
Tsukuyo followed behind me, and when we reached the living room we found Gintoki, Kagura, and Shinpachi sitting on the couch.  
The girl's crying had subsided, and now her and Shinpachi looked increasingly uncomfortable.  
Gintoki had managed to pull his clothes on at some point.  
I had grabbed my sword, and Tsukuyo and I glared daggers at one another.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?" Gintoki gazed up at us and we both shook our heads.  
"Nothing." We said in unison.  
Annoyed we shot each other dirty looks.  
"Damn it, stop copying me!" Yelling the words at each other we reached for our weapons.  
I focused on the scars over her left eye.  
She pulled out three kunai, and I unsheathed my blade.

"What the- Why are you two-" Before Gintoki could finish asking we lept away from each other.  
Tsukuyo threw her kunai, and I trailed around her, narrowly avoiding being struck.  
Gintoki stood up, but we ignored the man. Tsukuyo pulled a long dagger from some hidden location in her sleeve.  
I swung at the woman, and she jumped out of the way, only to try to attack me from behind.  
Her dagger swung past me, as I ducked out of the way.

"Damn it, what the hell is going on here?!" Gintoki started towards us.  
We continued attempting to slash at one another, and Gintoki started to reach for Tsukuyo.  
She elbowed him in the rib, and he uttered a low cry of pain; grabbing said spot.  
This movement enraged me, and I pushed towards her.  
"Damn it- I'm gonna kill him, not you!" I swung my blade, and she avoided the attack, only to be caught by my fist.

The woman grabbed me, and slammed my wrist against the wall, forcing me to drop my weapon.  
She stabbed towards me, and I grabbed her wrist mirroring her attack, and giving her no choice but to disarm herself as well.  
She punched my cheek, and I elbowed hers.  
For some reason, no body could get the upper hand.

"Kagura- You take Rein,Tsukuyo might hit you too..." Gintoki's voice could be heard but neither of us turned to face him.  
We continued to accost each other, until we were pulled apart.

Kagura lifted me up, and I had no chance in fighting against her. It was like fighting a wall made of cement.  
It wouldn't budge. I clenched my fists as she placed me across the room, and Gintoki pulled Tsukuyo to the side opposite of me.

We were both panting, and still glaring at each other.  
"Eyebrow-San, you're fighting over perm head?" The girl released me, and I glanced down at her.

"No- No, it's nothing like that... We weren't fighting...  
We were just... Greeting each other...  
That's how we greet each other in the city I'm from...  
And Tsukuyo seemed to be well educated in our customs..."  
I scowled at the woman across the room, and she mirrored my expression.  
"Right?" I asked.  
"Right." She echoed.

Gintoki sighed loudly, and I walked to my sword, picking it up.  
"You should also retrieve your weapons. That is, unless you desire them to be used in the act of slaughter."  
The corner of my nose tugged up, and the woman crossed her arms.  
"Yes, yes. It is a known fact that I would never condone such a treacherous act. It's below me."  
A smug smirk curled her lips, and I scoffed at her.  
"Yes. Just as prostitution is to me."

Shinpachi stood up and walked to Gintoki's side.  
"Uh, Gin-San... Now might not be a good time to ask, but- What's with them?"  
Gintoki shrugged, and peered at the boy.  
"Women do this sort of thing for fun. When they get bored they find another woman who is also bored.  
Those two women agree to play a game called Destroy All Competition. The first one that dies loses."  
Gintoki glanced at me, and I shifted my gaze.

Tsukuyo raised her pipe to her lips, taking a long drag.  
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled my cigarettes out and lit one.  
Kagura walked to the couch and sat down.  
"Oi, Scrotum Milker. No smoking in here." I leaned back onto the table as I spoke and her jaw dropped.  
"You're one to talk, Crotch Muncher." She glared at me and took another deep pull from her pipe.  
"Okay, okay! Time to go! Everybody go back home!"  
Gintoki started ushering Kagura and Shinpachi out of the front door, which was hanging on one hinge.  
He turned back to glare at us.  
"Knock it off you two! You can't say those kinds of things in front of kids!"

Tsukuyo glared at him, and I sighed.  
"I guess you're right..." We spoke in unison, and immediately scowled at one another.  
"I wont' need your assistance today Gin.  
Maybe next time, when Crotch Muncher over here learns some manners."  
The woman started towards the door and Gintoki sighed.  
"Don't let something like this effect my business!"  
He yelled the words and Tsukuyo, and we glared at each other once more before she exited the apartment.  
"I'll be back in a few hours..." Gintoki glanced at me, and I nodded.

I walked away, and back to my room, picking up the briefcase.  
"Take your weapons..." I heard Gintoki's voice but he was still at the door, and Tsukuyo mumbled something in response.  
Opening the briefcase, I started to pick my favorite of the knives, to prepare for my meeting with Kawakami.

"Oi, Rein..."  
Gintoki's voice was almost right behind me, and I slammed the briefcase shut; praying that it wouldn't explode.  
I peered at the man over my shoulder, and he was frowning in confusion.

"We're gonna fix your door... What are you doing? Are you hiding something from me? In there?"  
He pointed at the briefcase, and I quickly shook my head.  
"T- There was a bug... In it. I- I don't like bugs..."

His expression didn't change, and I shifted my gaze.  
"I'm gonna take a nap..."  
He nodded, and I took a step towards him. Before the man could ask another question I pressed my lips to his.  
When I pulled back he seemed to have forgotten, and left.  
Sighing in relief I turned back to the briefcase.

* * *

**A/N: Hey, guess what? This is my longest story! Ever! **  
**I never intend for these things to get so long, but they write themselves, and I'm stuck staring at the screen like **  
**"How the heck did that happen? It didn't seem that long when I thought of it!". **  
**But apparently stories come to life and force you to keep writing. **  
**So yeah. I like it too, I never know what's gonna happen next.**  
**While I'm typing I'll be staring at the words like "I can't believe he just said that!" Or "That was so unexpected! How did that even happen?!"**  
**Yeah. This was not my idea, but it was fun to write. :)  
I still don't understand why Kagura cried. It just wasn't natural. Yeeahhh.**


	77. Rude Awakening Pt 2

"Rein, _wake up_! what the _fuck_ is this?!"

I awoke to the sound of Gintoki yelling at me.  
Sitting up I lazily wiped my eye with the back of my hand.  
"What are you yelling for Gin? I'm right here..." My voice was laced with sleep, and the man glared at me from the foot of the bed .  
In his hands he held the briefcase, and all trace of sleep left me as a bomb was thrust into my face.  
"What the hell are you doing with this?! Huh?! Why do you need three bombs, and all of this shit!?"  
He poured the contents of the small container onto my bed.

Pocket knives, daggers, brass knuckles, and a pistol tumbled onto the covers at my feet and I peered up at him silently.  
The immediate anxiety of being woken up in such a manner caused an splitting headache.  
"Well? What are you going to do with this!? What do you need it for?!  
Are you just gonna sit there and stare at me like an idiot?! Speak! Say something!"  
I guiltily shifted my gaze, not wanting to answer. Upon looking out of the window, I realized just how dark it had become.

"Shit!" Leaping from the bed, I ran into the hallway.  
Gintoki watched me still scowling.  
The man followed after me, and I pulled my yukata from the floor searching for my wrist pouch.

"What the fuck are you doing?! Did you not hear me?!  
Are you too stupid to even answer me?! I know you hear me!  
What they hell do you need all of those weapons for?!"

Flipping my phone open I did my best to ignore the yelling man who stood only a few feet away from me.  
My heart began to pound as well as my head.  
_'How do I deal with this sort of situation? Maybe if I just don't comment he'll get over it...'  
_It was 11:30. On the dot. I had to leave.

"Shit, shit, shit! I slept too long!"  
Running past Gintoki again I pulled my yukata with me, and snatched a new pair of lingerie from my shopping bags.  
With no time to wrap my chest it proved to be a more time-friendly option.  
"Damn it Rein! Quit ignoring me!"  
Pulling the undergarments over myself, I peered at Gintoki.  
He stood in the doorway, with his arms crossed.  
"I'm not ignoring you, I promise! Please, just let me explain tomorrow! I've really got to go!"

I arranged my yukata, tying the belt as quickly as possible.  
"Where are you going? What are you about to do?!  
You're just gonna walk out right now?! I'm trying to talk to you, stupid!"  
He was not talking, rather yelling. He was trying to _yell_ at me, and doing a good job of it.  
Most likely I would get another visit from my neighbor.

I strapped the pistol to my thigh, and shoved a dagger into my boots.  
I also shoved another dagger into my bust, along with a pair of knuckles.  
When satisfied with the number of weapons I had managed to conceal I scooped everything back into the briefcase, and tucked it into my closet.

"Why do you need all of that?! Damn it Rein..."  
Stomping over to me, Gintoki grabbed my arms, just below my shoulders.  
"Are you really going to go kill more people?  
You're going to just leave me here while you go out and slaughter anybody who gets in your way?"  
He peered into my eyes and I shifted my gaze.

"This is just a meeting about a job right now... I'm not-" He quickly cut me off.  
"I don't want to hear your excuses! You haven't changed at all... You still don't even care about life...  
If you expect me to be here waiting on you think again..."  
The man stared at me, his eyes slightly squinted. His brow had furrowed, and he pursed his lips.  
"Gin, I have to work... Don't go- I should only be a few hours... Let me explain when I get back..."  
I peered up at him, feeling my face twist into an apologetic expression.  
He shook his head, releasing me.

The man started away, and I followed after him.

"I've told you about this before... I really thought that you had stopped...  
How the hell can you just kill them? Anybody? It's different if you're forced into it...  
But to do it for work?! You have no sympathy... No morals."

My heart dropped at his words, and I quickened my pace.  
"Wait, it's not like that!"  
Moving to the living room Gintoki started pulling on his clothes.  
"Gin, just listen to me... I really did stop- I- don't just kill random people! Only when I'm in danger, or threatened!"

I laced my hand through the bend of his elbow, trying to turn him to face me.

_'I really don't have time for this- I need to leave. Now!'_

"Somebody like you would say anything to get what they want- I don't believe a word of it. I'm not stupid, you can't trick me."  
Snatching away from me, he pulled his yukata on and stormed towards the door.

"Gin- I'm telling you the truth! Please, just listen to me... I have to make a living..."

He peered at me over his shoulder and shook his head.  
"Think of their families... Death leaves a wound that no one can heal... Strawberry milk- I almost believed that crap..."  
With that he pulled the necklace from around himself, and threw it to the floor.  
I gaped in horror, as he opened the door, not even looking at me, and slammed it behind himself.  
It felt as though he had also slammed my heart in that door, and I shifted my gaze.  
The kitten peered up at me, full of life and energy.  
I in turn gazed down at it, feeling my eyes begin to burn.  
I knelt down to pat it's head, knowing that no matter how hard I tried I would be late now.

The cat started to purr, and a soft melancholy smile teased the corner of my lips.  
"I'll name you... Aiko..." I sighed loudly, and stood up. Walking to the kitchen I grabbed a sheet of newspaper.  
"Aiko- You use the bathroom on this, okay?"  
The cat watched me, and it was obvious it didn't understand.  
I laid the paper on the ground in the kitchen and started from my apartment; leaving my sword behind.  
Kawakami had said no weapons.  
And I intended to oblige.  
But if he expected me to go completely defenseless, he was mistaken.


	78. Ruin

"You're late..."  
The moment I arrived at the dark tunnel I was greeted by Kawakami.  
He appeared to be alone, and stood in the mouth of the tunnel.  
The man was illuminated by pale light, which quickly disappeared when a cloud rolled in front of the moon.

"Yes. Something... Tedious came up... I apologize..."  
He nodded, and lowered himself onto a large slab of broken concrete.  
I sat beside him, and he sighed.

"In the forest there is a sort of safe house that we keep.  
Apparently a group of thieves decided to take it as their own.  
Naturally, we need to show them exactly where they have erred."  
Nodding, I peered up at the man beside me.  
"So, I will accompany you-  
To assist in the cleaning process, and also to verify that the job is done properly.  
We leave in the morning." He seemed to gaze at the moon, and I opted to look as well.

_'Why did he get so upset with me? How could I even approach this subject..?'_  
Gintoki was still on my mind, and I allowed a loud sigh to part my lips.  
"Oi..." Kawakami nudged me and I glanced at him.  
"What's wrong with your song?"

I had completely forgotten that he could tell. How do you lie to a man who can hear how you feel without you even speaking.  
"It's gotten slower... Gloomy... In a romantic way... Have you?"

Turning to face the man I shook my head.  
"It's not important... Is that all? Everything we need to talk about?""  
He nodded slowly, and I stood up.  
The man mimicked my motion and placed a hand on my shoulder.  
"Noon. We meet at noon. They have guards, so bring extra weapons.  
Hopefully after the release tomorrow will provide, your song will fall back into rhythm..."  
I nodded, and we started away.  
"Killing has always been an obvious hobby of yours. This should be fun..."

His words did not comfort me. In any way shape or form. It may have been true at one point, but now I was different. Wasn't I?

* * *

When I returned to my house I found a mess. Of everything.  
My couch had been slashed, table broken. There were holes in the walls, and in the midst of the wreckage laid a tiny calico body.  
My kitten had been slaughtered. Blood stained the rug, and I stared at the room wide eyed.  
Walking to the shredded remains of the kitten, I felt my eyes begin to water. Not from sadness.  
Maybe anxiety. But mostly rage. I was enraged to find my house in such a state.  
Using the newspaper I had laid down I wrapped the kitten up. It hadn't used the paper at all.  
Apparently it had opted to use the carpet. But that didn't matter.  
Nothing mattered. The only thing I could think to do was find whoever was responsible.

Storming to the hallway I grabbed my sword strap. My sword was gone.  
Everything was gone. Gintoki, Aiko, and my sword.  
It felt as though my mind would follow but for the sake of revenge, I opted to keep it just a little longer.  
I walked through the apartment, finding that the bathroom mirror had been shattered, and the sliding doors on my closet destroyed.  
On the ground beside my bed, my sheet was cut cleanly.

_'This has gone too far...'_

* * *

**A/N: It took days to decide whether or not the cat should get hurt... (I want to cry T.T)**  
**Poor little kitty! You were so young! Whyyyyyyyy?**  
**I know. I did it. I didn't like it either. Ugh. Hate movies where the poor animal dies. I refuse to watch them.**  
**But crazy killer mode had to activate. (Gonna go cry now. T.T)**  
**Haha. Not really. I already cried. Lol. (These are all jokes by the way. It is sad though...)**


	79. Somebody Always Calls The Cops

I sat on the floor of the living room, holding the tiny corpse of Aiko in my hand.  
It was wrapped in newspaper,which was soaking most of the blood up.  
Tears of rage poured down my cheeks, burning a trail over my skin.  
Though I didn't want to admit it, I had actually liked the little kitten.  
It hadn't even made it through one night, and my mind started to betray me.  
_'This is my fault... I shouldn't have brought it here...'_

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud knock at the door.  
Standing up I held the news paper close against myself.  
I pulled a dagger from my bra, and stood at the door attempting to make sense of the haze that clouded my mind.  
Snatching the door open I clenched the dagger, ready to strike.  
"Rein what the hell are you doing? What's going on up here? Are you okay?"  
It was Hijikata, and he was wide awake. The man grabbed my shoulders, focusing his gaze on me.  
"What happened? What are you holding?"  
Releasing me, he pulled the newspaper open, and peered at Aiko.  
"Is that... A kitten? What happened? Rein? Why aren't you saying anything?"

He peered at me, concern creasing his brow.  
Shoving the kitten at him I turned away. He took the newspaper, and I walked towards my room.  
A deep scowl set on my face, and adrenaline surged through my veins.

"Come on Rein... I came all the way over here, it's two in the morning!  
You could at least tell me what the hell happened. Your neighbors called..."  
Hijikata seemed to be following me, but I couldn't focus on him right now. I couldn't talk.  
I was too frustrated. Too sorry for not protecting Aiko.  
Too depressed. Between this, and Gintoki, it was too much to take.

Walking into my room, I started pulling my yukata off.  
When Hijikata reached the door he immediately turned around.  
"Wh- What are you doing?!"

I tossed my weapons on the bed,and reached into the closet; pulling the suitcase out.  
There was one more thing that Katsura had sold me, and now more then ever it seemed to be a good idea.  
I slipped into a bodice of armor, and strapped two daggers to my legs.  
Hijikata must have peeked, because he immediately started to question me.  
"Where are you going? You got more? Who did this? Who's cat is this?"

Hijikata watched as I strapped a pistol to my outer thigh opposite of the daggers.

Pulling a black yukata over myself I perfectly concealed the weapons.  
"It's mine... And I'm going to find who did this..." My voice was a low snarl.  
It was the first thing I had said,and he seemed surprised.  
When I stormed past him he nodded, and followed behind me.  
"Be careful... What about your sword?"  
I turned to face the man.  
"It's gone... Stolen. Take care of Aiko for me. I don't know what to do in these situations..."  
I stared at him and he offered me a nod.  
As I pulled the door open, my foot landed on a familiar object.  
It snapped under the pressure, and I peered down at it.  
The katana necklace I had gotten Gintoki laid broken on the ground.  
The finger guard had shattered, and I sighed loudly, kicking the chain out of the door.

_'This is no time for those sorts of thoughts...'_

Hijikata and I walked outside, and he grabbed my sleeve preventing me from continuing away.  
"You aren't gonna lock it?"  
I shook my head.  
"What's the point? It's already been fucked up."

Leaving it at that I started away, and to the industrial district.

* * *

When I arrived at the warehouse, I didn't hesitate to ram the door open.  
Knocking was too tedious to bear I needed to get in- Now.  
I slammed my shoulder into the solid metal not stopping when pain consumed my chest.  
When the door finally flung open, an Amanto was walking by. It started to yell, but I couldn't be troubled with a fight.  
Pulling the pistol from my thigh I aimed, and pulled the trigger, absorbing the small shock from the gun.  
The Amanto was clearly startled; knocked back against a wall.  
Though it continued to scream I walked over to it, and slit it's throat.  
I was done. Done with trying to be something that I wasn't.

It was unlike me; to change for anybody. A single man at that.  
My face, and mind had hardened into the cold expression of a killer, and I was seeing nothing but shades of scarlet.  
I started up the metal staircase; moving towards Takasugi's room.  
He had to be responsible for this.  
The only person who would do such a thing was him.

It seemed like each hallway I passed brought more Amanto, and I continued to gun down all who dared approach me.  
When I fired the last bullet in my clip, I quickly refilled, and continued.  
"What the fuck is going on out here?!"  
A woman's voice could be heard through my trance, and I immediately turned to the opening door; firing.  
I was met with a loud shriek, and opposing fire.

It was Kijima Matako. I knew it was. But I couldn't stop.  
I needed to get to Takasugi, and if anybody was going to stand in my way it would be the love sick puppy who was crouched beside that wall.

Ducking into a hallway, I avoided a series of gunshots which were directed at me.  
I peeked around the corner, trying to devise a plan.  
The sound of a cartridge of ammo dropping filled the air, and I dashed towards the room.  
Before the woman could reload, I had her at gun point.  
"Drop it..."  
She glared up at me, frozen in place.

It appeared that I had struck her in the arm, and she was bleeding profusely.  
Her gaze never shifted from me, as she laid the gun down beside herself.  
I kicked it away, still aiming my pistol at her.  
"Hand me the damn ammo..."  
"Fuck you!" She spat the words, and I felt a wide grin curl my lips.  
Snickering at the woman I extended my free hand.  
"Hand it over."

She reluctantly gave me the cartridge, and I continued to peer down at her.  
I didn't care about her life, but I wouldn't end it. Not tonight.  
"Get up." My command was not readily headed, but the woman eventually stood.  
She held her wound, and blood seeped between her fingers.  
Her blond hair wasn't in a pony tail like usual. Instead it was loose, and wild; as if she had been sleeping.  
When she stood up, I snatched her wrist and twisted it behind her back, pulling her against me.  
The woman uttered a pained cry, but if fell upon deaf ears.  
I had not one ounce of sympathy for her.  
She wanted to act tough, and be around such a dangerous group, so I in turn would test her bravery.

I walked her down the hallway towards Takasugi's room.  
Any Amanto that came across us automatically halted at the sight of my hostage.  
The gun was to her head, and she offered little resistance.

When we reached the door, I nudged her forward.  
"Open it."  
"No..." She spoke in a low tone, and I sighed loudly.  
"Matako...Open the damn door." I growled the words and she dropped her gaze.  
"No..." She echoed.  
"You'll have to kill me before I let you in there..."  
Without warning the woman began to struggle against me.  
She leaned forward breaking my hand from her wrist, and attempted to throw a punch at me.  
_'So tedious...'_

I ducked away from the slow punch, and moved behind her.  
A kick to the back of her knees sent her to the floor, and I grabbed her hair.  
I knelt down on one knee behind her, and pulling her back.  
She cried out, and I shoved the gun in her mouth.  
A group of Amanto watched us, yet I ignored them.  
"This is no time for games... You should know that I have no respect for you or your worthless life of unrequited love...  
You should have just opened the damn door..." My voice was low, and bitter on my tongue.  
Her eyes were wide, and the door beside us opened.  
"What the fuck is- Rein, what are you doing here?" Takasugi frowned down at me, with a befuddled expression.  
I shifted my gaze from him to the woman in front of me.

"Just who I needed to see... You set me up...  
While i met with Bansai my apartment was destroyed. My sword was stolen. Where is it, Shinsuke?"  
Matako was trying to say something, but the .9 Mm Glock proved to be difficult to speak around.

"Your apartment? Stolen? Hm... Are you trying to post pone tomorrow's job until you can find it, or get a new one or something?  
What exactly are you trying to do with Matako down there?"  
He was standing in the doorway shirtless, and hadn't taken his hand from the side of the door.

Frowning, I stood up, turning to face him; though I never shifted my gun from Matako.  
She started to cough loudly .  
"What does it look like?! Don't play games with me! Where the hell is my sword?!"  
Takasugi chuckled at me, and peered down at Matako.  
"This isn't a fucking game... Tell me, or I'll kill her..."  
This would be the perfect time to pull the hammer back on my gun, but since it didn't have one, I made the sound mentally.  
Guns weren't my thing, but that was the signature sound so... Yeah.

Takasugi shrugged, donning a wide grin. He held his hands out, palms up, as if to say "I don't know what to tell you".

"You can shoot her if you wish... But as I have said, I have no knowledge of your missing cutlery."  
His eye squinted, as if he was challenging me and I huffed in frustration.  
"I don't believe you. Only you would be so cruel as to kill a kitten!"

Now he frowned at me.  
_'Something is wrong... He really doesn't know... Who-'_  
"Takasugi-Sama! How could you tell her she can kill me?" We both peered down at Matako.  
Large tears had welled in her eyes and she was staring up at us, grief twisting her face.  
Takasugi sighed loudly, clearly annoyed.  
Matako stood up, and I watched her intensely as she did; never letting her escape my aim.  
"If you want to know where your sword is... Find Chizuru...  
She made a copy of your apartment key last time you were here.  
She was the one to change you, and she found it n your wrist pouch..."  
The woman peered at me one last time before gazing at Takasugi. He hadn't even glanced at her.  
The man had opted to stare at me instead.  
Matako listlessly started away, an air of depression, and defeat surrounding her.


	80. Who's Calling the Shots Here?

I aimed the gun at Takasugi and the amusement was apparent in his eye.  
"Where is Chi, Shinsuke?" I glared at him and he scowled.  
"I suppose you don't know yet... Come in. Talk to me..." the man widened the door to his room.  
I peered up at him, scowling.  
Offering me a grin he turned and walked to a table; seating himself at one of the chairs.  
His calm demeanor annoyed the hell out of me, but I sighed and followed after him.  
"Men, awaken Bansai!" Takasugi shouted to the Amanto, and some of them started away.  
I glanced at them one last time before entering the room.

When I reached the table I strapped my gun back to my thigh, also pocketing Matako's ammo.  
Pulling out a wooden chair I sat across from Takasugi, and he eyed me.

"It's been a while Rein. Though it was quite obvious that you wouldn't be able to continue on without working for me again.  
As you see, this table is new..." He ran a single finger over the polished wood of the table, and smirked at me.  
"I've always had an appreciation for the finer things in life..." The man donned a suggestive grin, and I sighed loudly.  
"I'm not here to have tea and cake with you. I want to know where the hell Chizuru is. NOW."  
The demanding tone of my voice only cause his grin to widen in a sinister manner.

"Ah yes... Chi, as you call her. I found that woman doing some things that were less then desirable...  
So, how many of my men did you kill on the way up here?"  
He was ridiculously entertained by the subject and before I could offer an annoyed answer, Kawakami walked into the room.  
"Sir?" He stopped when he saw me seated across from Takasugi.  
"Come, Bansai. Sit. We have a rather interesting topic to discuss." Takasugi smirked up at the man, an Kawakami silently nodded.  
He sat at one of the squared edges of the table between Takasugi and me, his brows furrowed.

"It seems that Chizuru has stolen Rein's blade. Again. She wishes to locate her sister, but I have yet to divulge her standing with us."  
Kawakami nodded at Takasugi's words, and appeared to glance at me.  
"Would you like to do the honors?"  
The question sounded more like a command, and Kawakami released a deep sigh.

"Yes sir. It appears that she was using us to find you.  
The woman with held certain... Activities... Long enough to bring in a man of whom we presume is her boyfriend.  
Together they managed to sell an abundance of rather important equipment... And make it on Shinsuke's personal death list."  
Kawakami glanced at Takasugi as he made the last statement.

"What he's saying Rein, is that you're more then welcome to return to your previous position now.  
Of course, I would expect more effort on your part." Takasugi flashed me a foreboding smirk, and I remained silent.  
To think that Chizuru had done this.  
It was common knowledge that she wasn't the big sister I remembered, but for her to go so far as to slay an innocent.  
A tiny kitten which had nothing to do with our feud.  
It couldn't have attacked her, or posed any form of threat.  
Most likely it just walked up to her and meowed, and she in turn went (or remained, I was still debating whether she was entirely) crazy.

"I don't know what form of effort you're referring to, but I will take jobs from you.  
I must warn you though. Do not cross me..." My response seemed to spark a baleful form of interest in Takasugi.

Standing up, I peered at the two men.  
They were watching me rather intensely, and I shifted my gaze.  
"As for the job tomorrow... Supply me with a temporary sword. I want money. And also..."  
I felt my face twist into a scowl, and sighed deeply.  
"Bring me Chizuru... Allow me the honor of... Taking care of her..."  
I glanced at Takasugi, who held a smirk wider then any I had ever seen before. A very dark, malicious smirk.  
Kawakami peered up at me blankly, and offered a slight nod.

"Of course." Takasugi spoke up, and I turned away.

"Oh... And I guess I should apologize for the... Damage I have done..."  
I gazed back at Takasugi, and he shook his head.  
"All is forgiven."

* * *

As I was leaving I heard a small muffled sniffle.  
I turned to face the door it had come from. It had to be Matako.  
Without knocking, I opened said door, and walked into her room.  
She glared at me from her bed, and I closed the door behind myself.  
"What do _you_ want?" She sneered the words, and I sighed.  
"Nothing." My voice was flat, and while I felt I should have some compassion for the woman I couldn't.  
Taking a moment to study her room I walked to her side.  
It was a plain room, the walls were a light pink shade, and a shadow was cast over everything from a small desk lamp.  
On her dresser and desk, there were numerous papers. Of what, I didn't know, and didn't care.  
Sitting down on the bed a placed a hand over her hair.  
She glared up at me, and I maintained a moderately blank expression.  
"I understand..." Was all I told her, and she laid her head back on the pillow she had tucked her arms under.  
Blood was staining her purple sheets, and I sighed once again.  
"Sit up..."  
When the girl didn't oblige, I grabbed her hair and pulled her up myself.  
She cried out in protest, attempting to punch me, but I caught her wrist.  
"You really aren't a physical fighter..." The words were a low murmur, an she huffed in frustration.  
"What would you know about me?! How could you even think for a second that you understand what I feel?!"

I glanced at the girl, not attempting to hide my exasperation.  
"I know you're chest feels like it's been crushed. And I know it's an unbearable pain.  
I also know how it feels to be denied after you have tried to prove yourself. But trust me.  
It's worse once you're truly involved. Longing is one thing, but losing is another. At least when you long, there is still hope."  
My words seemed to reach her, and she dropped her head.  
"Yeah..."

"let me see..." Standing up I aimed the desk lamp at Matako, and examined her wound.  
"It doesn't look like I hit a bone... Let's get you cleaned up..."

My kindness seemed to be unexpected.  
Yet I could tell that the woman appreciated every ounce of it.  
I remained cold towards her the entire time, and she did the same.  
But after I had wrapped her arm, the barrier she had set between us fell.  
I stood at the door, staring at her, and she in turn was watching me.

"I don't want your Shinsuke. Not in the slightest. If you truly want him deny him.  
You put yourself in this position; always being there for him, and using as much respect as possible.  
He's not the sort of man who goes for that."  
She remained silent and I left.

When I left the industrial area, I didn't want to return to my apartment.  
The thought of just being there was too much to bear. Though Gintoki was upset I decided to go to him.  
Earlier in the day he had called me his girlfriend, and if he had made such a bold statement then most likely it was true.  
I wasn't exactly sure of what that would entail, but I couldn't let him think that I ignored him to go kill people.  
_'Maybe if I just explain that I haven't had such a relationship before... That I didn't know what to say...'_

I chewed my lower lip the entire walk. Though I knew I needed to explain, I didn't know how.  
It was late. Most likely he would be sleeping, or maybe the argument had kept him awake.  
When I reached the Yorozura, I lightly tapped on the door, hoping not to awaken Kagura or Shinpachi.  
I received no answer, and knocked again, only a touch louder then before.

Footsteps approached me, and I felt my heart begin to pound.  
When the door opened, said heart dropped into the pit of my stomach.  
"What do _you_ want? Back from your killing spree?"  
A certain busty blonde stood in the doorway, smoking her pipe.  
That wasn't enough to dissuade me, but the fact that she was wearing Gintoki's yukata was.  
The woman leaned against the door with her arms crossed, gazing at me triumphantly.  
"Who is it?" A voice interrupted my thoughts, and soon a very drunk Gintoki was stumbling into view.  
"Oh, it's her? Did she bring the strawberry milk? I told you it's in her fridge- She knows."  
Gintoki approached us, and stood in the doorway beside Tsukuyo.  
He wore nothing but a pair of boxers, and I shifted my gaze.  
It was true that he had left his strawberry milk at my apartment.  
But to be focusing on it now was not a good decision.  
"Where is it?" Gintoki asked me, and I felt a scowl take me.  
"The milk?" I asked, glaring at the man.  
Tsukuyo, remained leaning on the door, as though she hadn't a care in the world.  
Puffing on her pipe she appeared to be lost in contemplation.  
The sight of the two of them together was irritating, but not in an anger inducing sort of way.  
It was much more depressing, and caused me to grow self conscious.  
_'It's because her boobs are so big... I know that's it...'_

My heart ached, and I placed my left hand over it, so to keep them from seeing the pain.

"Yeah the milk. Y- You know what I'm talking about. Don't try to play dumb... Oi- Don't ignore me again. I know you-"  
Completely annoyed my patience had run thin.  
Why was Tsukuyo wearing his robe?  
Why was Gintoki drunk, and practically naked?  
What the hell was going on?!  
I smacked him before he could finish his sentence. I didn't know why I chose to slap him instead of punching, or stabbing.  
Maybe even using one of those home made bombs that are so dangerous, but slapping is what I chose, so slapping is what I did.  
Tsukuyo seemed surprised by my action, yet Gintoki was even more startled.  
"What the hell did you do that for?!" He shouted the words at me, and I turned away.

"You were right, Gin. Women do get clingy. But men on the other hand don't care at all."  
He stared at me, still seeming to be confused, and I stormed away.  
There was only one other person I could go to at such a time.


	81. What Friends Are For

"Ooooiii... Toushi... Oiiiii..."  
Standing out side of Hijikata's window I tried to call out to him.  
He didn't seem to hear me, and I grew impatient.  
Taking a dagger I popped the window open and started to climb into his room.  
Yeah, it may sound like a very large barrier had just been crossed, but I didn't care.  
I was completely alone, and my apartment was full of memories.  
The room was completely black, excluding a small pocket of light cast on his closet door from the window.  
I had warned myself to be weary of making more, yet somehow my emotions had gotten the best of me.  
A tired grumble came from the bed, and I slid the window shut.

"Toushi... Wake up..."  
"What?" He groaned the word, and I started to his side.  
"I- Well... I wanna talk..." I knelt beside the bed, peering at the man through the darkness.  
"Bout what?" He still didn't sound completely awake and I sighed.  
"How can you still be asleep when somebody just broke into your room?"  
He turned over in his bed, facing me.  
"Who?" He asked and I stood up.  
"Me..."  
The man snickered under his breath.  
"You don't count."

A hand clasped around my wrist, and I glanced at him through the dark.  
He didn't offer anymore details, just pulled me over him and into the bed.  
I didn't know what to think, or how to react.  
I had never shared a bed with anybody but Gintoki.  
And Jun, but he was a child.  
Hijikata nuzzled into my neck, and I sharply inhaled, staring at the ceiling.  
His skin was warm against mine, in the way that only a sleeping man's could be.  
It seemed that he wasn't wearing a shirt. Definitely sleeping.  
He proceed to pull my weapons off of me, and throw them to the floor below.  
He took the daggers from my thigh, as well as the gun.  
My brass knuckles from my bra, and another small knife.  
And I cringed at the clanking sound of my defense being chucked over the edge of the bed.  
the man loosened my sword and shoved it against the wall.  
I remained frozen in place, unsure of how to react.

"Toushi?"  
"Mm?" He still seemed to be sleeping, or at least on the edge of a dream.  
"If you don't get up, I'm gonna take all of your mayo..."

A moment of silence passed, followed by a loud sigh.  
The man sat up and reached towards a light.  
He pulled the chain of the lamp, and turned to face me.  
"What?" An immediate frown creased his brow, and he started to blink profusely.  
"Wait... What..? You're... You're in my bed... YOU'RE IN MY B-"  
Leaning up, I clamped a hand over his mouth; hushing him.  
"You did this- Not me!"  
He stared at me wide eyed, and pushed my hand away.  
"How did- What- When?"  
"Just now! You- You pulled me in!" I did my best to whisper, but I was just as panicked as him.

"Me? I pulled you in the bed..? But, when did you get in here? _How_ did you get in here?"  
Shifting my gaze, I stared at the black comforter over him.  
"The window... Just now. I- Well... I wanted to talk. And, I didn't have anybody else to go to..."

Sighing loudly, Hijikata reached for a pack of cigarettes on the table beside the lamp.  
He lit one, and offered it to me.  
Muttering a low thanks, I accepted the smoke.  
"Well... I went to Gintoki... But he was... Busy.  
Earlier we got into a sort of fight. When he saw those weapons...  
But he got really upset. Yelled at me and left. When I went to see him there was a woman wearing his yukata..."

I took a long drag from the cigarette and handed it back to the man.  
He seemed surprised, and stared at me intently.  
"I didn't want to go back to my apartment... When that person broke in they... They-"  
A painful lump formed in my throat, and I averted my gaze.  
"They cut my sheets..." A sniffle forced it's way out of me, and my eyes began to burn.

"After all of that... You're really gonna sit here and cry over sheets?"  
He hadn't shifted his gaze from me and I shook my head.  
"They were really nice..."  
It was obvious that this wasn't over the sheets.  
Hijikata seemed to understand that the sheets were a metaphor. He stubbed the cigarette out and stood up.  
I watched the man walk to the door, lock it, and make his way back to the bed.  
He turned the light off, and laid down, still not offering a word.  
I was still sitting up and he turned to face me.  
"Go to sleep."

Peering down at the man I nodded.  
When I laid down he wrapped an arm around me, and I did my best to calm down; not cry.  
The entirety of the situation pissed me off.  
It was so stupid that I couldn't let myself cry over such a thing.  
But for some reason, my body didn't agree with my mind.


	82. Emotions Suck

Through the night, I laid beside Hijikata deep in thought.  
I stared at the wall, trying to make sense of everything that had happened.  
Attempting to find answers to questions like "why was Tsukuyo wearing Gintoki's yukata" or "why would Chizuru kill a kitten".  
Questions about why Gintoki had gotten so angry with me, and if there was even anything I could do about it.  
In the same day he had called me his girlfriend, yelled at me, and walked around half naked with another woman wearing his robe.  
Though I had only just met Tsukuyo she didn't seem to be the sort of person to sleep with a man out of spite.  
I didn't know her, but she appeared to but much more honorable then the impression I had gotten of her.  
It didn't make sense. Maybe her demeanor was caused by the shock of finding Gintoki with me.  
Maybe she had been waiting to be with him all along.  
Or maybe she just didn't want to be defeated.  
My silky sheets were also a casualty in this ridiculously random war, and without them it felt as though life could no longer continue.

Silent tears streamed down my face.  
I didn't know whether I was depressed, or enraged.  
Whether I was right for feeling the way I did, or just insane.  
I pressed my head further into the pillow hoping the fabric would cleanse me of my tears.  
The warm arm which was precariously draped over my waist bent, and pulled me against the man behind me.  
His hand laced under my arm, and gently wiped the moisture away from my eyes.  
I didn't know how to react. He hadn't said a single word, and I had expected Hijikata to be asleep by now.

A loud sigh sounded behind me, and the hand dropped to the mattress.  
"Oi... I understand that your sheets were important to you... They were probably nice. But- You can always buy another set..."  
The words helped to calm me and I remained in place, still staring at the bare wall through the darkness.  
Hijikata's chin rested on my shoulder and I could feel his breath on my neck.  
_'Is this okay? To be here with him? Like this?'_

Though I was unsure of the answer, there was one thing that I was sure of.  
The man seemed to know exactly what to say to stop my mind from attacking me.  
All throughout the night I had been blaming myself for everything.  
But simply blaming myself didn't solve issues.  
It didn't help me come up with plans, or make me stronger.  
It didn't put my mind at ease, and it didn't make any sense.  
Sort of like being with Gintoki.  
Though he actually did help me in someways, and at times made me feel as though I could do anything in the world;  
putting me in this sort of situation did more damage then good.

I drifted into a fitful slumber. One filled with nightmares of Gintoki and that woman.  
Though it was unbearable to see such a sight, one thing kept me grounded in reality.  
Hijikata's arm, and while it was still precariously draped over me, it was the most welcome precarious gesture I had ever received.

* * *

When morning came,I was awoken by the man getting dressed.  
I turned to face him, listlessly peering at the man.  
When he realized I was awake, he spoke.  
"I have to make my rounds today. You can stay as long as you like, but nobody can find out that you were here."  
I offered a slight nod, and leaned up; resting my elbow on a bent knee. Running a hand through my hair I spoke.  
"I have a job to do today... I just needed to rest last night... that's all."  
He didn't respond, just focused on fastening his belt, and buttoning his shirt.  
The covers slipped, and revealed a thigh holster.

When he strapped his sword to his waist, he walked to the side of the bed.  
"Your umm... Weapons are down here. You could of put them in a better place though..."  
He raised an eyebrow at me, and I shifted my gaze.  
"You mean you could of put them in a better place... I didn't take them off..."  
The man started to cough, placing his fist to his lips.  
"I- I pulled all of this out of your... Your clothes?"  
I nodded, and he cleared his throat; averting his gaze.  
"I've got to go... Be careful."

He started towards the door, and I watched him leave.  
Hijikata glanced at me over his shoulder before closing the door behind himself.  
Pulling my phone from my pocket I checked the time. It was just barely seven.  
I had five more hours before I needed to meet with Kawakami.

Instead of staying I pulled my sword on.  
Moving to the side of the bed, I pushed all of my weapons back in place.  
It seemed like a better idea to leave, then stay.  
The room smelled just like Hijikata, which surprisingly was not the smell of mayonnaise.

I slipped out of the window, and headed towards my apartment.  
Though and air of dread surrounded the thought of returning, I knew that i couldn't just run away.  
When I arrived at the place, nothing was different.  
Everything had remained exactly as I had left it, exactly as Chizuru had left it, and I had no intention of cleaning the mess.  
Sighing loudly I made my way to the bedroom, and pulled out a fresh change of clothes.  
My clothes seemed to be the one thing that Chizuru had left unscathed. Why? I had no clue.

After along shower, I got dressed and strapped my weapons back in place.  
Thought I truly didn't feel like cleaning, I willed myself to tidy everything I could before I had to leave.  
It wasn't an appealing task, not in the slightest, but it was my apartment; nobody else would do it.  
I rolled up a small throw rug, opting not to bother with the blood stain.  
When I had thrown the rug in the trash I took a broom to the floor, piling up bits of cotton, and splinters, and broken glass from the bathroom, and kitchen.  
Just as I was about to scoop everything up my phone rang.

An unfamiliar number popped onto the screen and I stared at it for a few seconds before deciding to ignore it.  
I poured the rubbish into the bin, and moved to my room to gather the torn sheets.  
Once again my phone rang, and after a short moment of contemplation I opted to answer.

"What?" I wasn't in the mood for pleasantries and immediately I wondered if it was a business.  
Hopefully I hadn't just spoken to a potential employer.  
"Oi... Rein..."  
It was no employer. Instead it was Gintoki.  
A small gasp parted my lips, and I stared at the sheets on the ground.  
"Wh- What do you want? How did you get this number?"  
A heavy sigh sounded on the line followed by a short spell of silence. I sat down on the bed, waiting for an answer.  
"Otsu gave it to me. I think there might have been a- Well, misunderstanding last night... You came over, right?"  
Shifting my gaze to the window I wondered if I should even be talking to him.  
As usual my heat had begun to pound at the sound of his voice, but at the same time it had dropped.  
Silently cursing a certain purple haired pop star I tried to think of what I should say.  
"Not really..."

"Not really? How do you 'not really' come over? Listen you should come here, to talk."  
I shook my head as if he could see me.  
"I have a job to do today. Theres no time to hang out... Anyway, you seemed pretty busy last night... With woman in your robe and what not."  
Another loud sigh echoed.  
"It really wasn't what it looked like. Her outfit got torn. She didn't have anything else to wear..."  
"Torn by you?" The question seemed to ctch him off guard, and the discomfort of the conversation seemed to fill the atmosphere.  
"No, stupid! By a sword... Look, we were drinking, nothing happened."

His response seemed to hang in the air, and I couldn't help but sigh.  
"I went by your place earlier. What happened over there? Where did you go last night?"  
Now his line of questioning made me nervous. I didn't know if I should tell him or if it would only cause more issues.  
"I'm coming over... Give me a minute." I hung up before he could reply, and ran my hand over the shredded silky fabric.  
Of course it took a while before I actually decided to go.

* * *

When I arrived at the Yorozura, Shinpachi greeted me and let me inside.  
He still seemed on edge about finding Gintoki in my bed, and spoke as little as possible.  
Though it was uncomfortable I followed him to the couch.  
"Where is Kagura-Chan?" Trying to make small talk I forced a small smile.  
"Oh, she's still sleeping. It's not a good idea to wake her this early." Shinpachi also flashed me a tight smile, and I nodded.  
"Gin-San, Rein-San is here!" The boy walked to Gintoki's door, and pulled it open.  
"You really don't need to add the San to my name..."  
He peered at me, and offered a slight nod.

Soon Gintoki was coming out of the room, followed by Tsukuyo, who was still wearing his robe.  
"Come in here, all three of us need to talk..." Gin peered at me and I nodded, unable to conceal the worry which had crept to my face.


	83. Explanations Cause Insecurity

"So the point is; nothing happened. We were just drinking, that's all. After the job, we all came here..."  
Gintoki had been speaking the whole time, explaining that a woman from Yoshiwara had been stolen so they had set out to find her.  
Tsukuyo remained silent most of the time, sitting with her legs folded underneath her.  
Her hands rested in her lap, and she studied me with a slightly stern expression.

"Yes. I do hope that you are not taken aback by the image that may have been caused by your visit.  
Earlier in the day I was rather irritable. It was unlike me to take such frustrations out on you."  
Tsukuyo peered at me and I nodded.  
"I understand. It was childish of me to partake in starting such a fight. I suppose you expect an apology..?"  
I glanced between the two, unsure of what the think.  
Something about them being so close together confirmed my speculations.  
They appeared to be good match.  
As if they were made for one another.  
And though their relationship appeared to be a modest one, it seemed that it was meant to be more.

"Oh, no... Apologies are not necessary. If anything we should all be apologizing to one another.  
So I see no need to voice it. As long as we all agree that what ever sort of issue we had is over."  
Gintoki and I nodded at Tsukuyo.

"Okay... So- We should drink now. To celebrate the safe return of Chie to Yoshiwara."  
Tsukuyo stood up offering a slight smile, and started to leave the room.  
Gazing up at her, Gintoki shook his head.  
"Erm... Are you sure that you should drink? Didn't you have enough last night? You know you-"  
"I'm fine. I can handle it."  
She cut him off, holding a deathly serious tone.  
The man sighed loudly, as she slid the door closed behind herself.

Gintoki peered at me, and I shifted my gaze.  
"She really can't hold her alcohol... It doesn't even take one shot before she's done."  
When I didn't respond, he raised an eyebrow at me.  
"What? You're still upset?" He spoke in a monotone, and I glanced at the man.  
"No, I wasn't to begin with..."  
He nodded, crossing his arms.  
"So, what happened to your apartment?"  
Sighing loudly, I decided to reveal what I had found.  
"Apparently Chizuru stopped by during my meeting. She stole my sword. And killed Ai- That kitten..."

An immediate frown creased his brow and he stared at me, waiting for more.  
"I went to Takasugi, and we discussed the matter. Today I have a job to take care of.  
In return he will assist me in finding my sister. So for now I just have to wait."  
Nodding Gintoki averted his gaze, and I did the same.  
"So you're gonna work for him? Even after what-"

Tsukuyo walked into the room holding a large green bottle, and we peered up at her; the conversation coming to a dead halt.  
She sat down beside me, and placed three cups on the ground.  
"Normally, drinking this early in the morning is out of the question...  
But since I get a break today, we should all enjoy ourselves."  
She offered me a smile, despite the serious tone she used.  
One which I forced myself to return.  
Neither Gintoki, nor Tsukuyo seemed to realize my discomfort.  
They both grabbed their cups, after the woman filled them, and started to drink.  
A low chatter filled the air about their fight with some man yesterday, and I gazed at my phone.  
_'One and a half hours...'  
_

"I'm just relieved that she wasn't _trying_ to run away. If she had been..."  
The Yorozura silently nodded, and she continued to speak about the woman from Yoshiwara.

"Rein-San, are you going to have any?"  
Tsukuyo's voice snapped me from my trance, and I raised my eyes to hers.  
"Oh, forgive me. I'm really not much of a drinker... I have a job to attend in a little over an hour."  
She nodded, and I grabbed the glass.  
"One drink won't hurt, but I can't allow myself to have any more.  
Not today. Possibly in the future, we could take the time to further our knowledge of one another."  
The woman stared at me, her mouth forming a small 'Oh', but soon offered a tiny smiled.  
"Of course."  
Taking the time to study her, I realized just how pretty she was.  
Though she remained serious, she had an obvious air of attractiveness surrounding her.  
Even with the scar over her eye, her beauty remained unscathed.

I took a few sips of the drink.  
It was a pale golden effervescent liquid, which I assumed was some sort of champagne.  
Cheap champagne, of course.

"So... tell me more of your line of work. I know I jumped to a number of conclusions yesterday, but it sounds interesting."  
The woman continued to make small talk with me, and I figured it couldn't hurt.  
"Well... Mostly I take small jobs. Odd jobs, you could say. Similar to Gin..."  
I motioned to the man, who was watching us intensely. Probably waiting to see if we would fight.

"But as you mentioned yesterday, I do tend to kill more then him.  
Admittedly it's not exactly desirable, but then again, neither are my opponents.  
I have boundaries. I will not erase women, or children.  
Only men who pose a threat. I have never taken my blade to an innocent."

The woman nodded thoughtfully, and a thick silence hung in the air. I decided to break the quiet spell, and continue.  
"Then again, most of my jobs are to retrieve information, or stolen goods; such as family heirlooms. Fighting is not the core of my work."

"Well, I am relieved to hear that it is better then assumed. Do be safe."  
Tsukuyo offered another smile. Another tiny, radiant smile, and I couldn't help but feel insecure.  
The self consciousness irked me to no end, but I did my best to conceal it.

_'I'm not exactly feminine... And though this woman claims to have given up her life as a woman, I still could not compare...'_  
It was one of the few things that I had heard her say through the haze of thought that clouded my mind.  
I couldn't help but think back to Tsu, reminding me that I'm a girl.  
'_Even her pipe has more feminine attraction then I...'_

"Well... I must be going." Standing up I pushed the remains of my drink towards Gintoki.  
They both stared at me, and I did the same. To them, that is.  
Honestly, I hadn't even consumed half of the glass, but it was best not to drink before fighting.  
"Wait. If you don't have a sword, how are you gonna protect yourself?"  
An annoyed tone weighed on Gintoki's voice, and I smirked down at him.  
"I don't need one to accomplish my job. And if I do, Takasugi will provide one."  
Gintoki stood up, and Tsukuyo returned her attention to her glass, pouring herself another cupful.  
Her cheeks had started to flush; probably from the alcohol.

Surprisingly, Gintoki motioned for me to leave the room with him.  
I obliged, and when we reached the living room, Kagura was walking from the kitchen.  
"Eyebrow-San! Are you doing it again? Are you two doing dirty things this early too?"  
She stared at me expectantly, and I felt _my_ face begin to flush.  
My embarrassment must have been apparent, as Gintoki responded for me.  
" Oi! Don't ask things like that, brat!"  
"But Gin-Chan! Eyebrow-San does it for free, so it's not like she has anything to hide!"  
"I- We're-" They both focused on me, and I tried to push the stuttering aside.  
"We're really not like that Kagura-Chan... There's nothing between us, we're just friends..."  
Kagura stared at me, frowning as if she understood, but at the same time didn't.  
Instead of waiting for another question, Gintoki grabbed my sleeve and pulled me outside.

When we were on the porch, he crossed his arms, and sighed loudly.  
"What do you mean 'just friends'? Why wold you tell her-"  
"Because we are. I know you were just joking about the girlfriend thing yesterday."  
Forcing a tight smile I allowed an awkward dry chuckle to escape me.

"Besides, it's pretty obvious that we wouldn't really work... With my job- and your point of view.  
Either I would change myself and starve, or stay the way I am.  
And that would lead to either fighting or disappointing you..."  
A golden ray of sunlight illuminated his hair, as well as mine; which could only be seen when small gust of wind pushed it into my face.  
I grabbed the chocolate strands and laced them behind my ear, crossing my arms.

He lowered his gaze, and I couldn't help but mirror his expression.  
"But- It's okay! Really... You were right, you know. Though I may have stopped for a while, I haven't changed."  
Despite the fact that I was trying to make things better I received a long, low sigh in response.  
"Yeah..." The word was a part of the sigh, and I turned away.  
I couldn't just stay here, and watch him do whatever he was doing.  
Normally he would be making some form of joke, or saying that it wasn't anything big to begin with.  
Calling me Stupid, or something.  
Not just standing there, silently contemplating some unknown statement or question.

"Well, I've got to go... I can't be late again... I'll uh, see you around..."  
He didn't respond just turned away and I peered at him over my shoulder, chewing on my lower lip.  
It didn't make sense for him to appear to be grieved over the subject.  
What also didn't make sense was for me to allow myself to become stressed out.  
But at the same time I couldn't help but feel that Tsukuyo was much better suited for him.  
Not me.


	84. Old Habits Die Hard

When I arrived at the warehouse, Kawakami let me in.  
He led me to Takasugi's room, and we tapped against the door lightly.  
When the door was opened, Takasugi flashed me an amused smirk, and allowed us to enter the room.  
"You're early... I guess it's for the best this way though... Here, you two put these on..."  
The one eyed man walked to small wooden chest, and pulled out two matching black long sleeve suits.  
The outfits were one piece, and appeared to be padded in all of the important places.  
The material appeared to be some form of thick spandex.  
Over the chest, forearms, stomach and back, was a thin solid padding.  
The pants had the same padding around the thighs , knees and calves, with small spaces of fabric between them.

"It's a full body armor. We don't exactly know what they have, so it's best to take precaution. This should make it rather easy though..."  
Smirking, Takasugi handed me one of the suits, and Kawakami the other.

"Also... Make it quick. I have a shipment set to arrive there at sun down." He left the room, and Kawakami and I gazed at one another.  
"Guess we should leave early. I also have a sword for you..." Turning his back to me Kawakami started to strip his clothes.  
"Y- You're gonna do that right there? In here?" I immediately turned to face the wall behind me, and stared at the armor.  
"Might as well..." He responded in a monotone, which didn't make the thought of taking my clothes off near him suddenly pleasant.

Though it was slightly uncomfortable I decided to change as well.  
As quickly as possible that is. When we finished, I folded my yukata, and Kawakami took it with his clothes.  
"I'll keep it in my room. Makes it easier for you, I dare say."  
Nodding I slipped my weapons to the outside of the armor, strapping the pistol, and daggers to my thighs again.  
The armor made it too difficult to access my bust, as it extended to the lower part of my neck.  
Sighing loudly, I placed the extra dagger and brass knuckles on top of the clothes in Kawakami's hands.  
"Hold on to this as well..."

He raised an eyebrow at me and nodded, before exiting the room.  
I followed behind him, and we walked down the hall in silence.  
After turning down another hallway, we stopped at a black door.  
Kawakami peered down at me for a moment, before holding up a single finger, signaling me to wait.  
He slipped into the room, which appeared to be dark for the most part, and I patiently leaned against the wall.

It took a few minutes for him to return, but once he did he handed me a sheathed sword, and strap.  
Quietly thanking him I fastened the blade to my hip, and we continued down the hallway.  
"If necessary you can use that sword in the future. though it seems to be a better idea to get one made for yourself, I dare say."  
Nodding to the man I continued to follow him, paying close attention to the plain white walls of the hallways we were passing through.  
I had never been in this area of the warehouse before, and soon we came to a flight of stairs.  
We descended the the steps into a garage area, and Kawakami walked to an object hidden under a tan tarp.  
The armor fit him well, accentuating his muscles, and stretching across his broad shoulders.  
It was almost as if Takasugi had the outfits custom fitted.  
Mine seemed to do the same for me, excluding the broad shoulder and muscle statement, of course.  
But it did hug me in all of the places that could be considered right, or wrong, depending on one's view point.  
Kind of like a half empty or full glass.

Giving the tarp a sharp tug, Kawakami revealed a deep onyx motorcycle.  
An Amanto was sitting on a stool, against a wall, reading a small magazine.  
"Oi, open the door." Kawakami motioned to a large chain beside the garage door.  
The Amanto immediately stood up, and made his way to the chain.  
"Yes sir."

Kawakami positioned himself on the motorcycle, and I stared at him oddly.  
Maybe it was the fact that I wasn't used to riding on bikes.  
Maybe the fact that I wasn't comfortable in being so close to a man in spandex.  
Or possibly just because I didn't want to be so close to a man in spandex on a motorcycle, but I was uncomfortable.  
"Get on." Kawakami peered at me over his shoulder, and after a short moment of hesitation I nodded.  
I climbed onto the back of the bike, trying to keep as much distance between us as possible.  
The Amanto raised the door, and Kawakami appeared to glance at me, smirking.  
"Hold on to me, as tightly as you can..."  
Shifting my gaze, I gripped the fabric over his abs and the bike started.

Without warning, Kawakami pulled the gas, and we lunged forward; full throttle.  
My hair began to wildly whip at my face, and I closed my eyes.  
Immediately nervous, I tightened my grip on his, and leaned onto his back.  
I didn't want to be so close to the man, but I also didn't want to die before I even got to the hideout.


	85. To The Hideout

Nothing could be heard over the roar of the motorcycle's muffler.  
It looked like an expensive one, and I had honestly never ridden on one before.  
The closest thing I had actually been on was Gintoki's moped, and that didn't seem to compare in the excitement department.  
Kawakami sped between cars, and ran red lights, all adding to my panic.  
For the most part, I just tried not to bump my head on the sword strapped to his back.  
But of course I maintained a cool charade; just in case he could some how see me.  
We didn't have helmets on, though, at the speed we were moving at I wished we did.  
A steady stream of traffic was crossing an intersection ahead of us, and I felt Kawakami exhale deeply.  
We came to a stop, and he placed one foot on the ground. Taking his hands off of the handlebars, he turned to face me.  
"Calm down, I know what I'm doing. It's safer then you think."  
I hadn't let go of the man's clothes, and he smirked at me.  
The wind seemed to have no effect on his hair, as despite the fact that it had been blown back,  
the moment we stopped it popped back in place; sticking straight up.

His attention shifted to an approaching vehicle, and I turned to see what he was looking at.  
Gintoki was pulling up beside us, and he had obviously already recognized me.  
A plastic bag was hanging from his wrist appearing to hold a JUMP book, and a bottle of what I assumed was more alcohol.  
He stopped beside us, and Kawakami turned back around, grabbing the handle bars.  
I peered at Gin, unsure of whether or not I should talk to him. The tension raised my brows, twisting them with worry.  
He glanced at me, yet didn't speak, and I leaned up, trying to think of what I could say.  
The engine of the bike revved, and Kawakami nudged me with his leg.  
I shifted my gaze to the man, offering a slight nod.  
The moment I wrapped my arms around him, the front of the bike raised up, forcing me to grip him extra tight.  
When the front tire landed we sped through a narrow opening between two cars crossing the intersection.

We continued towards the opposite side of town, yet I couldn't seem to get Gintoki off of my mind,  
as it seemed that Kawakami had popped that wheelie just to insult him.  
We sped past a Senshingumi van, which immediately started trailing behind us.  
Kawakami peered back at them, yet continued to move.  
"Pull over! You are in violation of the law! _And put a damn helmet on_!"  
Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, Hijikata's voice blasted over the speaker on top of the van.  
Over the sound of the Senshingumi yelling Kawakami yelled to me.  
"Lean with the turns!"  
He immediately ducked around a corner, and I did my best to do as he said, leaning with the turns.  
'This is ridiculous, I'm not a coward! Why am I letting this shit get to me?!'

Sighing deeply, I attempted to calm myself. Emotions were not going to get the best of me.  
Just because I couldn't stop thinking about Gintoki didn't mean I could let it effect me in such a ridiculous manner.  
Though we seemed to be moving at the speed of light, I leaned into the next series of turns; the Senshingumi hot on our trail.  
After the third turn, Kawakami sped up; accelerating towards a forest.  
The road we were on was shaped like a T; you could go left, or right, but definitely not straight.  
Trusting that he knew what he was doing, I turned to face the approaching van; Ignoring my hair which was wildly whipping at my face.  
_"Pull over, damn it!"_

Kawakami's ribs began to shake under my hands, as if he was laughing at the situation.  
He swerved into an opening on the sidewalk, and jumped a small ramp hidden in the foliage of the forest.  
I tightened my grip, watching the van behind us screech to a dead stop, swerving to the side to avoid a wreck.  
We landed on the forest ground, which was some how durable enough to hold the weight of the bike.  
Significantly slowing down, Kawakami carefully led us over thick vines, and roots until we came to a small clearing just big enough for the motor cycle to fit.  
He turned the bike off, and peered at me over his shoulder.  
"We walk from here..."

Getting off the bike, I ran my fingers through my hair, making sure there weren't any fly always, and adjusted my clothes.  
The man started through the greenery, not bothering to hold back any branches, for me.  
Instead, I found myself being whipped in the face, multiple times.  
The first time it happened, Kawakami had stopped, and turned to peer at me over his shoulder, smirking as I had sworn under my breath.

I scowled up at him, and he snickered at me; obviously finding it entertaining.  
Opting not to fall for that, I allowed a small distance to grow between us, so the branches had plenty of time to swing back before I reached them.  
We came to a small cliff, which was made of a large structure of boulders.  
It was probably about five or six meters high, and I peered at the smooth rocks below.  
Motioning to the ground below, Kawakami started to descend the rocks, of course, I followed after him.  
When we reached the bottom, he sighed, and motioned to a broken stone arch that appeared to be a doorway of some kind.  
"We're almost there..."

The surrounding forest was full of lush greenery.  
Occasional pockets of light adorned the ground, and thick vines hung from the trees.  
The air was salty, and rushing water could be heard in the distance.  
Kawakami led me to the small sandy coast of what appeared to be the beach.  
"Over there..." The man pointed to a small castle-like structure which was about thirty meters down the coast.  
Across the water nothing could be seen. It was as if we were standing on the edge of the world.  
The walls were made of thick slabs of stone, and crumbled in some areas.  
Vines crawled up the sides of the building, and small windows lined the walls.  
"That's it?"  
He nodded, and pointed to a large boat on the coast.  
"Lets handle that first... so they can't escape."  
The man handed me a small square device.  
"Thirty minutes. Place it near the bottom, if they try to escape they'll still die. I'll take care of anybody who sees you."

Silently nodding I took the lead, slipping through the forest as silently as one of the thieves we would kill.  
It took about ten minutes to reach the castle, and the dock.  
I had seen the device he had handed me before. It was a tiny intricate bomb.  
When I reached the boat, I stuck the explosive just above the water.  
Nobody had seen us yet, and Kawakami offered a slight nod, before motioning towards the building.  
The sunlight seemed to warm me from the inside out as I followed the man through the tall blades of yellowing grass.  
The stone walls of the structure were weathered an worn.  
Some of the corners at the top were crumbling, and chunks of pale stone laid on the ground we were passing over.  
Thick wooden vines clung to the walls, climbing most of the height, with dark leaved protruding the stems.  
Kawakami silently pulled his sword from his back, and signaled for me to stop, and as I did I unsheathed the sword he had lent me.  
Waiting for a signal was not my style, as I was usually a solitary worker.  
I peeked past Kawakami, finding two men around the corner; talking.  
They spoke in hushed tones, and I nudged the man beside me, motioning for him to take a certain one.

He nodded, and we simultaneously grabbed the men, slitting their throats.  
A satisfied grin curled his lips, and he pointed to an unnaturally thick vine on the wall beside us.  
Without a word he started to climb it. I followed after him to the second floor.  
There appeared to be three floors all together, and the man motioned to a window just above.  
"The captain should be up there..." His voice was low, and I offered a slight nod.  
We slipped through an arch in the stone wall, and the air was filled with the sound of a ruckus.  
Loud shouts, and the clattering of what could only be assumed to be something heavy against wood echoed throughout a hallway.

Kawakami seemed to be distracted, and footsteps started towards us.  
Grabbing the fabric on his arm I tugged him into a small room which appeared to be empty.  
The man peered at me, and I peeked past him into the hallway.  
A man walked by us, obviously intoxicated.  
A small group of about five more men stumbled behind him and once they past I crept into the hallway behind them.  
All of the men appeared to be dressed in a similar manner.  
Wearing ripped off black pants, and red dress shirts with he sleeves torn off.  
They had no clue what was coming for them until it was too late.  
Raising my blade I mercilessly cut them own.  
Kawakami charged towards the man that was ahead of them, and he barely turned around in time to see a blade plunge into his throat.

Turning back to me Kawakami grinned, wider then before.  
We continued to move throughout the building clearing it of any men we found.  
Opening a large door, we stumbled across the source of the ruckus.  
About twenty men were drinking to their hearts content, all yelling various statements.  
It took a moment for them to notice us, and when they did, some of the men started to pull out swords.  
About five people were passed out on the floor, or tables, and two of them appeared to have guns.  
Nodding at each other we charged at them. Nets hung from the ceilings, and a small bar stood in the corner of the room.  
Shots were fired yet none of them seemed to reach us; probably due to the alcohol.  
Moving through the room, we pivoted away from on coming swords, both taking our own directions.


	86. To The Hideout pt2

Sprays of crimson filled the air, accompanied with loud screams, and shrieks of pain; none of which belonged to us.  
The men fought in a careless drunken stupor, leaving an abundance of openings, that neither Kawakami, nor myself hesitated to take advantage of.  
Some how we crossed each other during the fight, moving to the other's side of the room.  
Twisting around I stabbed a man who was after Kawakami's back, he in turn slashed through a man who I hadn't seen.  
Pulling my glock from my thigh I shot one of the gunmen.  
Kawakami took the second man's leg, and then his head.  
Everything moved at a perfect pace, and we seemed to finish around the same time.

Panting, I turned to my partner, who was now bathed in blood; positive that I looked the same.  
He also appeared to be out of breath, and started towards the passed out men.  
Kawakami slaughtered them without a second thought, and I sighed loudly.  
Neither of us uttered a single word, as we walked from the room.  
We ascended a flight of stone stairs, and a damp chill hung in the air. I  
welcomed the cool sensation, hoping it would dry my sweat. The previous fight had proved to be a workout.  
When we reached the top, Kawakami kicked the door open.  
A single man stood in the middle of the circular room with his back to us. He wore an elaborate red coat, and a large black cap.

"I wondered when you would arrive." The man turned to face us when he spoke.  
He had a large scar over his eye, and one appeared to be completely white.  
His shoulders were broad,and blond hair peeked from under the black cap atop his head.  
He gazed at us intensely, and Kawakami started to slowly walk around the room examining small items on a wardrobe.  
"You know, I find it hard to believe that a group of two people could have made it all the way up here. But you see, I have the upper hand..."

I glared at the man slightly curious as to what he spoke of.  
"If you were to kill me now, you will never know..."  
A low rumble of a laugh echoed from within him, and Kawakami walked to another small chest behind him, still studying some papers on top of the wood.  
_'Hmm... He seems to be in good health... This should prove to be an interesting fight...'_

"You will never find the prized amethyst... Ha! Only I know the true location! And once I press this button."  
The man motioned to an equivocal large red button on the wall.  
"Almost one hundred men will swarm up here, and you will never escape!" The man proceeded to laugh.  
That is, until Kawakami jammed his sword through his stomach.  
"I'd rather be pleasantly surprised when I find that stone..."

I watched the two men, as Kawakami retracted his sword, allowing the man to fall to the ground.  
He then delivered the final blow, and quietly snickered to himself.  
"If only Tsu could see her Tsunpo now."  
Walking to my side, he smirked at the statement.  
"Time for a treasure hunt..."

Nodding I followed behind him.  
We walked through the long halls of the castle after descending the steps.  
Pools of blood had surrounded the corpses that remained motionless on the ground.  
We entered all of the previous rooms we had been in, we proceeded to check every lose stone, nook and cranny we could find.  
Ten minutes later a loud explosion sounded.  
It was obviously the bomb on the boat, and we paid it no mind.  
Silence had fallen over the halls and rooms of the castle, and we slipped through each room we came across.

* * *

Satisfied that we hadn't missed a single thing, we moved to the first floor.  
There were a few stray men, all panicking; probably due to the explosion.  
Glancing at one another, we nodded in a mutual moment of understanding.  
Words were not necessary to know that we would both take a side, and eliminate each man who dared approach.  
Pacing throughout the long stretch of stone, we cut through a small group of men, only to be bathed in more scarlet.  
_'Such a familiar sensation...'_

We cleared a number of rooms, until no more men were to be found.  
Entering a colossal room our eyes fell upon an excessively sized picture of the man who was the captain.  
The room appeared to be the entrance, as there was a large wooden half circle for a door,  
and sun light could be seen shining through the edges of the door. Large stacks of wooden boxes were piled almost as high as the ceiling which was easily ten meters high.  
Pockets of white light were cast from tens of windows all lining the top of the walls.  
"What's the most cliché, egotistical way to hide treasure?"  
I peered at the man, smirking.  
We started to walk towards a metal staircase that led to some steel grating under the picture.  
Just as we made it up the stairs, a group of about fifteen men ran through the door underneath us.  
I held my finger to my lips, and Kawakami remained silent as I pulled the glock from my thigh.  
Without warning I fired into the men below, taking pleasure in the sight of their terror; their demise.  
Of course, I had been used some of my rounds earlier in the mission, so my seventeen bullets had been depleted to about ten.  
so as I reached to reload the men charged towards the stairs.  
Kawakami lunged forward, quickly eliminating the men.  
Turning to me he offered a sly smile.

"Well, somebody is enjoying this." I rolled my eyes as I spoke, and turned to the picture, trying to figure how to remove it.  
"Yeah, well I'm not the only one. I can hear it in your song."  
I didn't attempt to hide it. Or deny it at all.

Kawakami plunged his sword into the painting, ripping a hole right through the thin material.  
Once the opening was wide enough to reach through, he pried the fabric of the painting apart.  
"Uh, so how long have they been here? They appeared to be rather settled, with this huge painting and what not..."  
I nudged Kawakami softly, as he inspected the wall cavity behind the picture.  
"Two days." He turned to gaze at me, donning a raised eyebrow.  
That didn't seem exactly believable.  
Unable to contain the scowl that creased my brow, I walked back towards the stairs.  
"It's here. That idiot could have found a better place. This is like a replication of a bad movie, I dare say."

I nodded, and proceeded to walk to the door we entered the room from.  
"I'll check for anything or body we may have missed."  
Kawakami started behind me, holding an amethyst that was about the size of his palm.  
"Take any money you find..."

Turning to peer at him over my shoulder I smirked. "I intend to."

When we reached the room with the bar in it, I did exactly as we had agreed.  
We both collected all of the money found in the pockets of the men, and Kawakami handed a small stack to me.  
"Keep this between us."  
Pulling the armor away from my neck, I tucked the money in half, and pushed it into my bra.  
"Is it noticeable?"  
Staring at me with a slightly dumbfounded expression Kawakami rained an eyebrow.  
"Are you really _asking_ me to look at your chest?"

Snickering at the man I walked past him.  
"I'll take that as a no."

Slowly strolling through the halls I peered into all of the empty rooms.  
Realizing that the captain might have had something of value, I stalked up the stairs.  
Kawakami didn't seem to be following and after I searched the old man's pockets I was satisfied.  
He only had about one hundred thousand yen on him, but he also had a very interesting necklace.  
The intricate design of the accessory caught my eye, and I clasped it around my neck; it was the only place to put such a thing.

"Oi! Rein- Get over here! There's more!"  
It was the loudest I had ever heard Kawakami speak, and I charged down the stairs and in the direction of his voice.  
When I reached the first floor, I found him holding his own against what appeared to be twenty men.  
Yeah, twenty.

I lunged into the middle of the battle, removing limbs, and halving bodies.  
The sword he had given me was ridiculously sharp, and blood lust surged through me.  
Maybe it was due to the fact that I had suppressed the urge to kill for Gintoki.  
I had taken more time off then intended and the only reason I could find was the silver haired samurai.  
Blood sprayed over me, bathing me in what could only be described as a renewing purity which I so longed.  
Engulfed by the warmth I allowed myself to be overcome with the hate which lurked within me.  
The hate for Chizuru, accompanied with the bitter love of Gintoki; of whom I could never be quite good enough for.  
A sword landed on my arm, and I froze, waiting for the limb to fall.  
Realizing that the armor had protected me, I flashed a dark grin at the man who had attempted to harm me.  
The next scene was a blur.  
A bloody, hazy memory that did not make much of an impression on me.  
All I remember was the warmth of the liquid splattering across my face.

The only thing that snapped me from my trance was pain; a small one at that.  
A blade lunged into the thin fabric between the padding of my armor, yet the man was quickly annihilated.

* * *

All that remained was Kawakami. And of course me.  
The man nudged me, and pointed to a dark corner surrounded by crates.  
He was also bleeding, from his leg, but it didn't faze him.  
We walked to the shadow of the boxes where a small, muffled whimper was echoing from.

In the darkness two women sat, tied back to back.  
One had locks of a dark blond, and the other auburn.  
They were clearly horrified to be in such a situation, and their fear only increased then Kawakami raised his blade.  
The women shrieked in terror, bawling their eyes out.  
Sympathy gripped my heart, and I grabbed his hand; not allowing him to bring his sword to them.  
He peered at me, a scowl furrowing his brow.  
"Th- They're just hostages... It's not like they wanted to come here..."  
He watched me, lowering his blade, as I moved to the women and freed them.  
"Run. Straight. Town is just ahead..." As I spoke I pointed to the door, and they frantically nodded in response.  
I was almost knocked off balance by the women as they grabbed me.  
They pulled me into a tight embrace, and I didn't know how to react.  
I remained still as the spoke through their sobs.  
"Thank you... Thank you... Thank you so much..."  
Releasing me, they peered at Kawakami and bolted from the room.

The man gazed at me, holding a what I could only describe as a look of disgust.  
"You know what Shinsuke said..."  
Nodding I glared into his eyes.  
"Yes. To kill the thieves. Those women were no such thing. If you want to slay them, you will fight me..."  
Surprise crossed his face, and he took a step towards me.  
"Your song..."

I didn't know if he was referring to a good or bad change, so I just stared at the man, scowling.  
"It's... Unlike anything... I've ever..."  
He didn't complete the sentence. Instead, the man gripped my shirt, and pushed me against the crates.  
"How can it sound so... labyrinthine? So... Perplexing... Intoxicating..."  
His lips crashed into mine, and the iron taste of blood danced onto my tongue.  
I hadn't expected the action, and froze in place.  
"B- Bansai..! Get off- What- Fuck!" I could barely pull away from him long enough to speak.  
He didn't loosen his grip on me and I pushed against the man; to no avail.

The man pulled me from the crates, and backed against a solid stone wall.  
His arms wrapped around me, and he pulled back; giving my a chance to breath.  
"You don't understand... It's not normal, I dare say... There's something about you... No body understands... You just..."  
A deep sigh parted his lips and he gazed at the high ceilings, releasing me.

"You're no killer... You're completely different... It's...  
Complex, as it's well organized; logically constructed in a way I have never heard before...  
Yet asymmetrical, in addition to fundamental intricacy..."

Staring up at the man I didn't know what to say.  
I thought I understood, but maybe I missed something.  
Though he spoke slowly and in a calm tone, it didn't make sense to me.  
Why was he speaking like that?  
I understood what he had said, that wasn't the issue.  
But my main concern was why he was so caught up on something I still didn't understand.  
I wondered what my song was like, and averted my gaze.  
"We should go... Now..."

Nodding the man pushed himself from the wall, and started away.  
I walked behind him, unsure of what to expect.


	87. The End of the Beginning

Before we left Kawakami walked back to the picture.  
He handed me a few different pieces of jewelry, motioning to my boots.  
"Tuck them in there, so Shinsuke wont see..."  
He then grabbed a helmet, and smirked.  
"They were here the whole time. We forgot to bring them last time we left..."  
As he pulled the helmet over himself, he smirked.  
"Wait, the sun is going down. How do you see with that and your glasses on?"  
The glass of the helmet was tinted, and he appeared to peer down at me.  
"I don't."  
The answer was unsettling and I pulled the helmet over myself.

We walked back to the motorcycle, and he placed the amethyst in a small compartment under the seat.  
Neither of us spoke, and we got onto the bike; creeping through the forest.  
Once on the road, he continued driving like a maniac until we reached warehouse.  
It wasn't as frightful as before, and when we arrived Takasugi was waiting for us in his room.

"Oh, you're back. I suppose the job has been complete?"  
"Yes sir." Kawakami answered before me, and I silently watched Takasugi as he approached us.  
"Shinsuke, Rein also found a large gem. She chose to give it to you, in return for her safety."  
I peered up at Kawakami, and the men gazed at me.  
"Is that true?" Takasugi held a wild ominous grin and I nodded.  
"Yes sir. It seemed fitting to present such a valuable to you instead of keep it for myself. Consider it a peace offering."  
Pulling the odd situation off to the best of my ability I knelt down as I would in the past.

"I'll do just that..."  
Kawakami held the stone in his palm, and Takasugi accepted it.  
The man walked to his new table, and sat down examining the stone.  
"Return when you need another job. For now, you may leave. Bansai, you handle her payment."

Kawakami nodded, and we left the room.  
I followed him to his own, and we changed into our normal clothes; each facing opposite walls of course.  
"Take this..." Extending an envelope towards me, Kawakami turned his head, as if he refused to look at me.  
I handed him the sword he had lent me, and took my payment.

"Do you want me to sew you up?"  
I hadn't even glanced at the small wound, and shook my head.  
"It's nothing, but I appreciate your concern."  
With that I left.

* * *

**A/N: Hi all! So- Lately I've been thinking about this story, and it's really long.**  
**Yeah. Not surprising, since you probably read it all, but seriously.**  
**REEEEAAALLLLLYYYY LLLOOOONNNGGGG.**  
**'Nuff said.**  
**Just kidding. That's not enough yet! Haha. I probably got you with that. **  
**You probably thought I was done typing. But I'm not. **  
**Okay, I know some of you awesome authors/readers have read my other stories, like: **  
**"The Hand You're Dealt" and "Play Your Hand"**  
**To those of you that haven't, you probably have realized that those names sound awfully similar.**  
**Yeah. They do. Because it's the same story! (Surprise!)**

**After this chapter, this story will be split into another half. **  
**(Hence the short length of the chapter.) Tomorrow I hope to post the beginning of the next half.**  
**Since I'm not that amazingly creative (-_-') I'll probably just name it Silver Mist 2, or something cliché like that.**  
**So yeah. It's been fun. I can't stop writing yet, or I'll DIIIEEEEE. **  
**(Of boredom, and the fact that I really like my OC for some reason.)**  
**Okay. Yeah. That's it. Whoa, this is a really long A/N. To think that I never know what to say... Huh. **

**Also, I Appreciate all of the feedback I have gotten so far!  
Some of those comments really cracked me up, and I'm glad you found the lemons so juicy. LOL**

**Alll right! Yep. Hope you enjoyed the first half of this story! If you read all of this, your automatically awesome! XD**


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